Forecasts and simulations for relativistic corrections to the Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect
Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics 2026:2 (2026)
Abstract:
The Sunyaev-Zeldovich (SZ) effect is a window into the astrophysical processes of galaxy clusters, and relativistic corrections (the “rSZ�) promise to provide a global census of the gas feedback within clusters. Upcoming wide-field millimeter-wave surveys such as the Simons Observatory (SO), Fred Young Submillimeter Telescope, and CMB-S4 will make increasingly precise measurements of the SZ effect and its relativistic corrections. We present simulated full-sky maps of the rSZ effect and a fast code to generate it, for use in the development of analysis techniques and pipelines. As part of the websky simulation suite, our mock observations have semi-realistic cross-correlations with other large-scale structure tracers, offering insights into the formation and evolution of galaxy clusters and large-scale structure. As a demonstration of this, we examine what an SO-like experiment can learn from the rSZ effect. We find that high significance detections will be possible, provided that the instrumental systematics are under control, and that the evolution of cluster temperatures with mass and redshift can be probed in a manner complementary to X-ray measurements.Downsizing does not extend to dwarf galaxies: identifying the stellar mass regimes shaped by supernova and AGN feedback
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Oxford University Press (OUP) (2026) stag207
Abstract:
Abstract We explore how the fraction of red (quenched) galaxies varies in the dwarf galaxy regime (107 M⊙ < M⋆ < 109.5 M⊙), using a mass-complete sample of ∼5900 dwarfs at z < 0.15, constructed using deep multi-wavelength data in the COSMOS field. The red fraction decreases steadily until M⋆ ∼ 108.5 M⊙ and then increases again towards lower stellar masses. This ‘U’ shape demonstrates that the traditional notion of ‘downsizing’ (i.e. that progressively lower mass galaxies maintain star formation until later epochs) is incorrect – downsizing does not continue uninterrupted into the dwarf regime. The U shape persists regardless of environment, indicating that it is driven by internal processes rather than external environment-driven mechanisms. Our results suggest that, at M⋆ ≲ 108 M⊙, the quenching of star formation is dominated by supernova (SN) feedback and becomes more effective with decreasing stellar mass, as the potential well becomes shallower. At M⋆ ≳ 109 M⊙, the quenching is driven by a mix of SN feedback and AGN feedback (which becomes more effective with increasing stellar mass, as central black holes become more massive). The processes that quench star formation are least effective in the range 108 M⊙ < M⋆ < 109 M⊙, likely because the potential well is deep enough to weaken the impact of SN feedback, while the effect of AGN feedback is still insignificant. The cosmological simulations tested here do not match the details of how the red fraction varies as a function of stellar mass – we propose that the red fraction vs stellar mass relation (particularly in the dwarf regime) is a powerful calibrator for the processes that regulate star formation in galaxy formation models.Apparent Dark-Energy Evolution from Cosmic Inhomogeneities
ArXiv 2601.20633 (2026)
Harmonic-decomposition approach to dynamical friction for eccentric orbits
Physical Review D (Particles, Fields, Gravitation, and Cosmology) American Physical Society 113:2 (2026) 023042
Abstract:
Compact objects evolving in an astrophysical environment experience a gravitational drag force known as dynamical friction. We present a multipole-frequency decomposition to evaluate the orbit-averaged energy and angular momentum dissipation experienced by point masses on periodic orbits within a homogeneous, fluidlike background. Our focus is on eccentric Keplerian trajectories. Although our approach is currently restricted to linear response theory, it is fully consistent within that framework. We validate our theoretical expressions for the specific case of an ideal fluid, using semi-numerical simulations of the linear response acoustic wake. We demonstrate that, for a finite-time perturbation switched on at t=0, a steady dissipation state is reached after a time bounded by twice the sound crossing time of the apocenter distance. We apply our results to model the secular evolution of compact eccentric binaries in a gaseous medium, assuming low-density conditions where the orbital elements evolve adiabatically. For unequal-mass systems with moderate initial eccentricity, the late-time eccentricity growth is significantly delayed compared to the equal-mass case, due to the binary components becoming transonic at different times along their orbital trajectory. Our approach offers a computationally efficient alternative to full simulations of the linear response wake.JADES: the chemical enrichment pattern of distant galaxies – α enhancement, silicon depletion, and iron enhancement
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Oxford University Press 547:3 (2026) stag123