Cosmological simulations of galaxy clusters with feedback from active galactic nuclei: profiles and scaling relations

S R Pike, S T Kay, R D A Newton, P A Thomas, A Jenkins

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    Abstract

    We present results from a new set of 30 cosmological simulations ofgalaxy clusters, including the effects of radiative cooling, starformation, supernova feedback, black hole growth and AGN feedback. Wefirst demonstrate that our AGN model is capable of reproducing theobserved cluster pressure profile at redshift, z {\sime} 0, once the AGNheating temperature of the targeted particles is made to scale with thefinal virial temperature of the halo. This allows the ejected gas toreach larger radii in higher mass clusters than would be possible had afixed heating temperature been used. Such a model also successfullyreduces the star formation rate in brightest cluster galaxies andbroadly reproduces a number of other observational properties at lowredshift, including baryon, gas and star fractions, entropy profilesoutside the core and the X-ray luminosity-mass relation. Our results areconsistent with the notion that the excess entropy is generated viaselective removal of the densest material through radiative cooling;supernova and AGN feedback largely serve as regulation mechanisms,moving heated gas out of galaxies and away from cluster cores. However,our simulations fail to address a number of serious issues; for example,they are incapable of reproducing the shape and diversity of theobserved entropy profiles within the core region. We also show that thestellar and black hole masses are sensitive to numerical resolution,particularly the gravitational softening length; a smaller value leadsto more efficient black hole growth at early times and a smaller centralgalaxy.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)1774-1796
    Number of pages23
    JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
    Volume445
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Dec 2014

    Keywords

    • X-rays: galaxies: clusters

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