paper

Validating the CROCODILE model within the AGORA galaxy simulation framework

arXiv:2512.18945 · doi:10.3390/galaxies14020014

Abstract

Numerical galaxy formation simulations are sensitive to numerical methods and sub-grid physics models, making code comparison projects essential for quantifying uncertainties. Here, we evaluate GADGET4-OSAKA within the AGORA project framework by conducting a systematic comparison with its predecessor. We perform an isolated disk galaxy and a cosmological zoom-in run of a Milky Way-mass halo, following the multi-step AGORA calibration procedure. By systematically deconstructing the updated stellar feedback model, we demonstrate that mechanical momentum injection is necessary to suppress unphysical gas fragmentation and regulate star formation, yielding agreement with the Kennicutt-Schmidt relation. Meanwhile, stochastic thermal heating is essential for driving a hot, metal-enriched gaseous halo, thereby creating a multiphase circumgalactic medium that is absent in the predecessor code. In the cosmological context, we calibrate the simulation to match the stellar mass growth history targeted by the AGORA collaboration. The validated GADGET4-OSAKA simulation has been contributed to the AGORA CosmoRun suite, providing a new data point for understanding the impact of numerical and physical modeling choices on galaxy evolution.

38 pages, 18 figures. Accepted in Galaxies

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