The Impacts of Modeling Choices on the Inference of the Circumgalactic Medium Properties from Sunyaev-Zeldovich Observations

Abstract

As the signal-to-noise of Sunyaev-Zeldovich (SZ) cross-correlation measurements of galaxies improves our ability to infer properties about the circumgalactic medium (CGM), we will transition from being limited by statistical uncertainties to systematic uncertainties. Using thermodynamic profiles of the CGM created from the IllustrisTNG (The Next Generation) simulations we investigate the importance of specific choices in modeling the galaxy sample. These choices include different sample selections in the simulation (stellar versus halo mass, color selections) and different fitting models (matching by the shape of the mass distribution, inclusion of a two-halo term). We forward model a mock galaxy sample into projected SZ observable profiles and fit these profiles to a generalized Navarro-Frenk-White profile using forecasted errors of the upcoming Simons Observatory experiment. We test the number of free parameters in the fits and show that this is another modeling choice that yields different results. Finally, we show how different fitting models can reproduce parameters of a fiducial profile, and show that the addition of a two-halo term and matching by the mass distribution of the sample are extremely important modeling choices to consider.

23 pages, 9 figures, published in the Astrophysical Journal

References in corpus (17)

• Introducing the Illustris Project: Simulating the coevolution of dark and visible matter in the Universe
• Mass and environment as drivers of galaxy evolution in SDSS and zCOSMOS and the origin of the Schechter function
• Star Formation in AEGIS Field Galaxies since z=1.1 : The Dominance of Gradually Declining Star Formation, and the Main Sequence of Star-Forming Galaxies
• Simulating galaxy formation with black hole driven thermal and kinetic feedback
• A Semi-Analytic Model for the Co-evolution of Galaxies, Black Holes, and Active Galactic Nuclei
• The Circumgalactic Medium
• Introducing the Illustris Project: the evolution of galaxy populations across cosmic time
• The COS-Halos Survey: Physical Conditions and Baryonic Mass in the Low-Redshift Circumgalactic Medium
• Mass, Metal, and Energy Feedback in Cosmological Simulations
• The Search for the Missing Baryons at Low Redshift
• The CAMELS project: Cosmology and Astrophysics with MachinE Learning Simulations
• Effects of Supernova Feedback on the Formation of Galaxy Disks
• Inefficient star formation through turbulence, magnetic fields and feedback
• The Atacama Cosmology Telescope: Combined kinematic and thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich measurements from BOSS CMASS and LOWZ halos
• The Atacama Cosmology Telescope: Modeling the Gas Thermodynamics in BOSS CMASS galaxies from Kinematic and Thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Measurements
• The Tau of Galaxy Clusters
• A Measurement of the Galaxy Group-Thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Effect Cross-Correlation Function

Cited by in corpus (9)

• The CAMELS project: public data release
• Hot Extended Galaxy Halos Around Local L* Galaxies From Sunyaev-Zeldovich Measurements
• Cross-correlation of DES Y3 lensing and ACT/$Planck$ thermal Sunyaev Zel'dovich Effect I: Measurements, systematics tests, and feedback model constraints
• Backlighting extended gas halos around luminous red galaxies: kinematic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect from DESI Y1 x ACT
• Probing Hot Gas Components of Circumgalactic Medium in Cosmological Simulations with the Thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Effect
• An exploration of the properties of cluster profiles for the thermal and kinetic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effects
• Atacama Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (AtLAST) Science: Resolving the Hot and Ionized Universe through the Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect
• Disentangling the Halo: Joint Model for Measurements of the Kinetic Sunyaev-Zeldovich Effect and Galaxy-Galaxy Lensing
• The Circumgalactic Medium from the CAMELS Simulations: Forecasting Constraints on Feedback Processes from Future Sunyaev-Zeldovich Observations