paper

The orientation of galaxy dark matter haloes around cosmic voids

arXiv:astro-ph/0609629 · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2006.11282.x

Abstract

Using the Millennium N-body simulation we explore how the shape and angular momentum of galaxy dark matter haloes surrounding the largest cosmological voids are oriented. We find that the major and intermediate axes of the haloes tend to lie parallel to the surface of the voids, whereas the minor axis points preferentially in the radial direction. We have quantified the strength of these alignments at different radial distances from the void centres. The effect of these orientations is still detected at distances as large as 2.2 R_void from the void centre. Taking a subsample of haloes expected to contain disc-dominated galaxies at their centres we detect, at the 99.9% confidence level, a signal that the angular momentum of those haloes tends to lie parallel to the surface of the voids. Contrary to the alignments of the inertia axes, this signal is only detected in shells at the void surface (1<R<1.07 R_void) and disappears at larger distances. This signal, together with the similar alignment observed using real spiral galaxies (Trujillo, Carretero & Patiri 2006), strongly supports the prediction of the Tidal Torque theory that both dark matter haloes and baryonic matter have acquired, conjointly, their angular momentum before the moment of turnaround.

arXiv comment7 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS. Improved statistical analysis

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