Analysis of Active Galactic Nuclei Feedback in Cosmological Simulations: IllustrisTNG and EAGLE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58445/rars.2878Keywords:
Active Galactic Nuclei, Cosmological Simulation, EAGLE, IllustrisTNG, AGN Feedback, Galactic EvolutionAbstract
Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) are compact and energetic regions at the centers of galaxies powered by accretion onto a supermassive black hole which emit energy across the electromagnetic spectrum. AGNs alter their host galaxies by releasing large outflows of radiation and ionized gas which impacts a variety of host galaxy properties including star formation rates, gas cooling rates, mass distribution, velocity dispersion, and luminosity. This paper presents a comprehensive overview of the mechanisms by which AGNs affect their host galaxies, with an emphasis on their implementation within cosmological simulations. It reviews the underlying physical processes, theoretical models, and observational detection methods, emphasizing how AGN impacts the ISM, drives multiphase gas outflows, and quenches star formation. To explore these effects in practice, this paper analyzes two cosmological simulations that incorporate AGN feedback: IllustrisTNG and EAGLE. Using python scripts, this paper analyzes the publicly released data from the IllustrisTNG and EAGLE data repositories, analyzing trends within black hole mass and AGN luminosity. Galaxies within this analysis are categorized into either AGN or non-AGN galaxies depending on their eddington ratio. This study found black hole mass to be the strongest predictor of AGN activity in both simulations, while AGN luminosity showed weaker correlation. Understanding the interactions between AGNs and their host galaxies is essential for building accurate simulations of galactic evolution.
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