Corentin Cadiou

 CNRS @ IAP, Paris

State of the Circum Galactic Medium in the Megatron simulations

 

Co-Is: Harley Katz, Martin Rey

Collaborators: Oscar Agertz, Jeremy Blaizot, Alex J. Cameron, Nicholas Choustikov, Julien Devriendt, Uliana Hauk, Gareth Jones, Taysun Kimm, Isaac Laseter, Aayush Saxena, Sergio Martin-Alvarez, Kosei Matsumoto, Camilla T. Nyhagen, Autumn Pearce, Francisco Rodriguez-Montero, Victor Rufo-Pastor, Joki Rosdahl, Adrianne Slyz, Richard Stiskalek, Anatole Storck, Wonjae Yee

First results in:

Rey+2025 — Katz+2025 — Cadiou+2025
&
Choustikov+2025, Storck+2025

Typical path from sims to observations

Lots of assumptions

(equilibrium, geometry, element abundances, …)

\(\rho, T, Z,v\)
sometimes \(n_\mathrm{H}, n_{\mathrm{H^+}}, n_\mathrm{He}, n_\mathrm{He^+},n_\mathrm{He^{2+}},n_\mathrm{e^{-}}\)

 

Physical space

Observable

Model [i]

  • Based on RAMSES-RT (Rosdahl+13)
  • Out-of-equilibrium chemistry (Katz 23)
    Primordial species: \(\text{H~{\small I}-{\small II}}\), \(\text{He~{\small I}-{\small III}}\), \(e^{-}\)
    Metal ions: \(\text{C~{\small I}-{\small VI}}\), \(\text{N~{\small I}-{\small VII}}\), \(\text{O~{\small I}-{\small VIII}}\), \(\text{Ne~{\small I}-{\small X}}\), \(\text{Mg~{\small I}-{\small X}}\), \(\text{Si~{\small I}-{\small XI}}\), \(\text{S~{\small I}-{\small XI}}\) & \(\text{Fe~{\small I}-{\small XI}} \)
    Molecules: \(\text{H}_2\) & \(\text{CO}\)
  • Dust model (Rémy-Ruyer+14)
    Assuming dust-to-gas ratio
  • Heating & Cooling
    photoheating, photoelectric heating, excitation/dissociation heating, primordial, dust recombination, dust-gas collisions, metal lines
    • \(\text{C~{\small I}}\), \(\text{C~{\small II}}\), \(\text{N~{\small II}}\), \(\text{O~{\small I}}\), \(\text{O~{\small III}}\), \(\text{Ne~{\small II}}\), \(\text{Si~{\small I}}\), \(\text{Si~{\small II}}\), \(\text{S~{\small I}}\), \(\text{Fe~{\small I}}\), \(\text{Fe~{\small II}}\)

\(\text{O\small{II}}\)

\(\text{O\small{I}}\)

\(\text{N\small{I}}\)

\(\text{Mg\small{II}}\)

\(\text{Ne\small{II}}\)

\(\text{CO}\)

\(\rho\)

\(v_r\)

\(\text{O\small{III}}\)

Model [ii]

  • Turbulence-based star formation (Padoan & Nordlund 11, Agertz+21)
    \(\dot{\rho_\star} = \varepsilon_\star\rho/t_\mathrm{ff}\)
    • if \(Z<10^{-6}Z_\odot\) ⇒ Pop. III
    • if \(Z\geq10^{-6}Z_\odot\) ⇒ Pop. I & II, Kroupa
  • \(M_\star = 500\,\mathrm{M}_\odot\)
    \(M_{\star,\rm III} \sim 100\,\mathrm{M}_\odot\)
  • Feedback (Agertz+21; Rey+23)
    core-collapse SN, type Ia, winds + HN (Nomoto+06).
  • Yields (Limongi & Chieffi 18)
    AGB winds (Ritter+18)

Model [iii]

  • MW analogue @ \(z=0\)
  • Genetically engineered to form earlier
    ICs generated with genetIC
  • 2 main runs
    • constant physical \(\Delta x_\mathrm{min} \approx 20-40\,\mathrm{pc}\)
      3 runs with ≠ ICs
    • constant comoving \(\Delta x_\mathrm{min}(z=2) = 20\,\mathrm{pc}\)
      \(\Delta x_\mathrm{min}(z=5)=10\,\mathrm{pc}\)

      \(\Delta x_\mathrm{min}(z=14)=4\,\mathrm{pc}\)
      3 runs: efficient feedback, variable IMF, hypernova
  • Early forming MW mass galaxy
  • \(1.6\times 10^{4}\mathrm{M}_\odot\) DM, \(500\, \mathrm{M}_\odot\) Pop. II stars, individual Pop III stars, \(1\, \mathrm{pc}\) resolution at first star formation
  • IMF sampled chemical enrichment from individual stars for all relevant elements
  • SN (CC, Ia, HN, PISN), Winds → follows Vintergatan (validated for MW galaxies at z = 0)
  • 81 species chemistry coupled to 8 bin RT
  • PRISM ISM model
  • Enhanced resolution in the CGM
  • Calibration sims with IMF variations and physical model variations

Introducing MEGATRON

Megatron suite of simulations

  1. On-the fly radiative transfer,
  2. 81-ions non-equilibrium thermochemistry,
  3. Chemical enrichment from SN and stellar winds,
  4. Milky-Way progenitor,
  5. 4 “high-resolution” sims at \(10\,\mathrm{pc}\) comoving,
  6. 3+2 “low-\(z\)” sims at \(23\,\mathrm{pc}\) proper.

\(\Sigma\)HI

\(\Sigma\)HII

\(\Sigma\)MgII

\(\Sigma\)OII

Mocks in absorption:

Main object, \(z=4\), raw file outputs, no postprocessing

Mocks in emission:

Main object, \(z=9\), w/ nebular cont. Pyneb (Luridiana+15) & coll. Chianti (Del Zanna+21)

The Megatron suite of simulations

The Megatron suite of simulations

4 High-z ISM

The Megatron suite of simulations

4 High-z ISM

3+2 "low"-z CGM

RTZ model

\[ \frac{\mathrm{d}n_i}{\mathrm{d}t} = \textcolor{red}{n_{i+1}\alpha_{i+1}n_\mathrm{e}} + \left(\sum_k [ \textcolor{blue}{n_{i+1}\xi_{i+1}}+ \textcolor{green}{n_{i-1}\chi_{i-1}}]n_k\right)\! + n_{i-1}(\textcolor{purple}{\beta_{i-1}n_\mathrm{e}} + \textcolor{brown}{\Gamma_{i-1}})\\ \]

\(\textcolor{red}{X^+ + e^- \rightarrow X }\)              (recombination)

\(\textcolor{blue}{X^+ + Y \rightarrow X + Y^+}\)     (charge exchange recombination)

\(\textcolor{green}{X^- + Y \rightarrow X + Y^-}\)     (charge exchange ionization)

\(\textcolor{purple}{X + e^{-*} \rightarrow X^+ + 2e^-} \)  (collisional excitation)

\(\textcolor{brown}{X + h\nu \rightarrow X^+ + e^-} \)     (photoionization)

\[ \frac{\mathrm{d} E}{\mathrm{d}t} = \sum_{k}^{\mathrm{processes}}\sum_i^{\mathrm{species}} n_i \Gamma_k - \sum_{k}^{\mathrm{processes}}\sum_i^{\mathrm{species}}\sum_j^{\mathrm{species}} n_i n_j \Lambda_k\]

Katz 22, Katz+22, Katz+CC+24

\[- \ \textcolor{red}{n_i \alpha_i n_\mathrm{e}} - \left(\sum_k[ \textcolor{blue}{n_i\xi_i} + \textcolor{green}{n_i\chi_i}]n_k\right) - n_i(\textcolor{purple}{\beta_i n_\mathrm{e}} + \textcolor{brown}{\Gamma_i})\]

RTZ model

\[ \frac{\mathrm{d}n_i}{\mathrm{d}t} = \textcolor{red}{n_{i+1}\alpha_{i+1}n_\mathrm{e}} + \left(\sum_k [ \textcolor{blue}{n_{i+1}\xi_{i+1}}+ \textcolor{green}{n_{i-1}\chi_{i-1}}]n_k\right)\! + n_{i-1}(\textcolor{purple}{\beta_{i-1}n_\mathrm{e}} + \textcolor{brown}{\Gamma_{i-1}})\\ \]

\[- \ \textcolor{red}{n_i \alpha_i n_\mathrm{e}} - \left(\sum_k[ \textcolor{blue}{n_i\xi_i} + \textcolor{green}{n_i\chi_i}]n_k\right) - n_i(\textcolor{purple}{\beta_i n_\mathrm{e}} + \textcolor{brown}{\Gamma_i})\]

\[ \frac{\mathrm{d} E}{\mathrm{d}t} = \sum_{k}^{\mathrm{processes}}\sum_i^{\mathrm{species}} n_i \Gamma_k - \sum_{k}^{\mathrm{processes}}\sum_i^{\mathrm{species}}\sum_j^{\mathrm{species}} n_i n_j \Lambda_k\]

  • CR heating
  • photoheating
  • \(\mathrm{H}_2\) heating (formation, dissoc., pumping)
  • H+He cooling (\(T>8000\,\mathrm{K}\))
  • \(\mathrm{H}_2\) cooling (esp. \(Z < 10^{-5}\))
  • metal-line cooling
    fine-structure O I, O III, C I, C II, N II, Fe I, Fe II, Si I, Si II, S I, Ne II @ \(T<10^{4}\,\mathrm{K}\)
    otherwise cloudy table
  • CO cooling + dust recombination + grain-gas collisional cooling

Katz 22, Katz+22, Katz+CC+24

State of the CGM of a MW progenitor at \(z \approx 3-4\)

CGM at \(z \approx 3-4\)

CGM at \(z \approx 3-4\)

\[ \frac{\mathrm{d}n_i}{\mathrm{d}t} = \textcolor{red}{n_{i+1}\alpha_{i+1}n_\mathrm{e}} + \left(\sum_k [ \textcolor{blue}{n_{i+1}\xi_{i+1}}+ \textcolor{green}{n_{i-1}\chi_{i-1}}]n_k\right)\! + n_{i-1}(\textcolor{purple}{\beta_{i-1}n_\mathrm{e}} + \textcolor{brown}{\Gamma_{i-1}})\\ \]

\[- \ \textcolor{red}{n_i \alpha_i n_\mathrm{e}} - \left(\sum_k[ \textcolor{blue}{n_i\xi_i} + \textcolor{green}{n_i\chi_i}]n_k\right) - n_i(\textcolor{purple}{\beta_i n_\mathrm{e}} + \textcolor{brown}{\Gamma_i})\]

RTZ model

  • Out of equilibrium
  • Depends on past thermochemical state
  • Depends on local radiation field through \(\Gamma\)
  • Ion-ion dependencies

\[ \frac{\mathrm{d}n_i}{\mathrm{d}t} = \textcolor{red}{n_{i+1}\alpha_{i+1}n_\mathrm{e}} + \left(\sum_k [ \textcolor{blue}{n_{i+1}\xi_{i+1}}+ \textcolor{green}{n_{i-1}\chi_{i-1}}]n_k\right)\! + n_{i-1}(\textcolor{purple}{\beta_{i-1}n_\mathrm{e}} + \textcolor{brown}{\Gamma_{i-1}})\\ \]

\[- \ \textcolor{red}{n_i \alpha_i n_\mathrm{e}} - \left(\sum_k[ \textcolor{blue}{n_i\xi_i} + \textcolor{green}{n_i\chi_i}]n_k\right) - n_i(\textcolor{purple}{\beta_i n_\mathrm{e}} + \textcolor{brown}{\Gamma_i})\]

RTZ model

\[ \frac{\mathrm{d}n_i}{\mathrm{d}t} = \textcolor{red}{n_{i+1}\alpha_{i+1}n_\mathrm{e}} \phantom{+ \left(\sum_k [ \textcolor{blue}{n_{i+1}\xi_{i+1}}+ \textcolor{green}{n_{i-1}\chi_{i-1}}]n_k\right)}\! + n_{i-1}(\textcolor{purple}{\beta_{i-1}n_\mathrm{e}} + \textcolor{brown}{\Gamma_{i-1}})\\ \]

\[- \ \textcolor{red}{n_i \alpha_i n_\mathrm{e}} \phantom{- \left(\sum_k[ \textcolor{blue}{n_i\xi_i} + \textcolor{green}{n_i\chi_i}]n_k\right)} - n_i(\textcolor{purple}{\beta_i n_\mathrm{e}} + \textcolor{brown}{\Gamma_i})\]

Photoionization equilibrium

\[0 = \textcolor{red}{n_{i+1}\alpha_{i+1}n_\mathrm{e}}+ n_{i-1}(\textcolor{purple}{\beta_{i-1}n_\mathrm{e}} + \textcolor{brown}{\Gamma_{i-1}})- \ \textcolor{red}{n_i \alpha_i n_\mathrm{e}} - n_i(\textcolor{purple}{\beta_i n_\mathrm{e}} + \textcolor{brown}{\Gamma_i}) \]

\[ \frac{\mathrm{d}n_i}{\mathrm{d}t} = \textcolor{red}{n_{i+1}\alpha_{i+1}n_\mathrm{e}} + \left(\sum_k [ \textcolor{blue}{n_{i+1}\xi_{i+1}}+ \textcolor{green}{n_{i-1}\chi_{i-1}}]n_k\right)\! + n_{i-1}(\textcolor{purple}{\beta_{i-1}n_\mathrm{e}} + \textcolor{brown}{\Gamma_{i-1}})\\ \]

\[- \ \textcolor{red}{n_i \alpha_i n_\mathrm{e}} - \left(\sum_k[ \textcolor{blue}{n_i\xi_i} + \textcolor{green}{n_i\chi_i}]n_k\right) - n_i(\textcolor{purple}{\beta_i n_\mathrm{e}} + \textcolor{brown}{\Gamma_i})\]

RTZ model

Photoionization equilibrium

\[0 = \textcolor{red}{n_{i+1}\alpha_{i+1}n_\mathrm{e}}+ n_{i-1}(\textcolor{purple}{\beta_{i-1}n_\mathrm{e}} + \textcolor{brown}{\Gamma_{i-1}})- \ \textcolor{red}{n_i \alpha_i n_\mathrm{e}} - n_i(\textcolor{purple}{\beta_i n_\mathrm{e}} + \textcolor{brown}{\Gamma_i}) \]

  • In equilibrium
  • Suppose \(n_\mathrm{e} = n_\mathrm{H\,II} + n_\mathrm{He\,II} + 2n_\mathrm{He\,III}\)
  • Suppose \(\Gamma\) is UV background only

\[ \frac{\mathrm{d}n_i}{\mathrm{d}t} = \textcolor{red}{n_{i+1}\alpha_{i+1}n_\mathrm{e}} + \left(\sum_k [ \textcolor{blue}{n_{i+1}\xi_{i+1}}+ \textcolor{green}{n_{i-1}\chi_{i-1}}]n_k\right)\! + n_{i-1}(\textcolor{purple}{\beta_{i-1}n_\mathrm{e}} + \textcolor{brown}{\Gamma_{i-1}})\\ \]

\[- \ \textcolor{red}{n_i \alpha_i n_\mathrm{e}} - \left(\sum_k[ \textcolor{blue}{n_i\xi_i} + \textcolor{green}{n_i\chi_i}]n_k\right) - n_i(\textcolor{purple}{\beta_i n_\mathrm{e}} + \textcolor{brown}{\Gamma_i})\]

CGM at \(z \approx 3-4\)

Is the CGM in equilibrium?

Relax to photo-ionisation equilibrium (PIE)

No local radiation field, no time-dependence, assume \(n_\mathrm{e}\) dominated by primordial species, self-shielding

\[ \frac{\mathrm{d}n_i}{\mathrm{d}t} = \textcolor{red}{n_{i+1}\alpha_{i+1}n_\mathrm{e}} + \left(\sum_k [ \textcolor{blue}{n_{i+1}\xi_{i+1}}+ \textcolor{green}{n_{i-1}\chi_{i-1}}]n_k\right)\! + n_{i-1}(\textcolor{purple}{\beta_{i-1}n_\mathrm{e}} + \textcolor{brown}{\Gamma_{i-1}})\\ \]

\[- \ \textcolor{red}{n_i \alpha_i n_\mathrm{e}} - \left(\sum_k[ \textcolor{blue}{n_i\xi_i} + \textcolor{green}{n_i\chi_i}]n_k\right) - n_i(\textcolor{purple}{\beta_i n_\mathrm{e}} + \textcolor{brown}{\Gamma_i})\]

\[0 = \textcolor{red}{n_{i+1}\alpha_{i+1}n_\mathrm{e}}+ n_{i-1}(\textcolor{purple}{\beta_{i-1}n_\mathrm{e}} + \textcolor{brown}{\Gamma_{i-1}})- \ \textcolor{red}{n_i \alpha_i n_\mathrm{e}} - n_i(\textcolor{purple}{\beta_i n_\mathrm{e}} + \textcolor{brown}{\Gamma_i}) \]

CGM at \(z \approx 3-4\)

Is the CGM in equilibrium?

\(\Sigma \propto n\)

\(L \propto n^2\)

CGM at \(z \approx 3-4\)

Is the CGM in equilibrium?

CGM at \(z \approx 3-4\)

Is the CGM in equilibrium?

NEq.

PIE

Assuming PIE ⇒ biased towards colder/denser gas

\(T\)

\(n_\mathrm{H}\)

CGM at \(z \approx 3-4\)

Is the CGM in equilibrium?

\(\pm0.5\,\mathrm{dex}\)

CGM at \(z \approx 3-4\)

Is the CGM in equilibrium?

Non-equilibrium effects:

\(\Delta(T, n_\mathrm{H}) \sim 0.2-0.5\,\mathrm{dex}\)

⇒ \(\Delta L \sim 1\,\mathrm{dex}\)
for some lines

CGM at \(z \approx 3-4\)

CGM out of equilibrium: why?

40 kpc

  1. Local radiation dominate locally over UVB
    Anisotropic effects
     
  2. Recombination lag
    \(t_\mathrm{cool} \ll t_\mathrm{rec}\), worse with time

CGM at \(z \approx 3-4\)

CGM out of equilibrium: why?

  1. Local radiation dominate locally over UVB
    Anisotropic effects
     
  2. Recombination lag
    \(t_\mathrm{cool} \ll t_\mathrm{rec}\), worse at low \(z\)

Recombination lag in the CGM

fast cooling,
slow recombination

slow cooling,
fast recombination

Upcoming: MEGATRON data release

Data viewer

Requirements:

  • ✔ interactive,
  • ✔ handles raw data
    (RAMSES outputs, catalogues, spectra)
  • ✔ everything local — except data.
    → run Python+yt in your browser 🙃

3D viewer

Requirements:

  • ✔ interaction-before-accuracy,
  • ✔ GPU-accelerated,
  • ✔ up to millions of AMR cells,
  • pre-extracted lightweight cutouts

Take-home messages

  • Megatron simulation suite
    200,000+ spectra in 4 “ISM” runs (\(z\gtrapprox 8\)) ⇒ Katz, CC+25
    3+1 “CGM” runs (\(z\gtrapprox 3.5\))                           ⇒ CC+25
    Link to low-\(z\) UFDs                                     ⇒ Rey, ..., CC+25
    Properties of Pop. III stars                             ⇒ Storck, ..., CC+25
    Sensitivity of line diagnostics to subgrids   ⇒ Choustikov, ..., CC+25
    Origin of steep \(\beta\) slopes                                 ⇒ Katz, CC+                      (in prep)

     
  • CGM (incl. inner CGM!) is out-of-equilibrium
    Assuming PIE leads to 0.5 dex (median), and factors of
    2-3× on individual line of sight

     
  • Data release                                                  ⇒ CC+                      (in prep)
    ✔ Pre-computed spectra, halo catalogues, cut-outs
    ✔-ish data viewer + 3D viewer
    🚧 JWST images, ALMA Cubes, RASCAS post-processing (\(f_\mathrm{esc}\), \(L_\mathrm{Mg\,II}\), ...)

State of the CGM in the Megatron sims

By Corentin Cadiou

State of the CGM in the Megatron sims

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