<scp>edge</scp>: the emergence of dwarf galaxy scaling relations from cosmological radiation-hydrodynamics simulations
ABSTRACT We present a new suite of edge (‘Engineering Dwarfs at Galaxy formation’s Edge’) cosmological zoom simulations. The suite includes 15 radiation-hydrodynamical dwarf galaxies covering the ultrafaint to the dwarf irregular regime ($10^4 \le M_{\star }(z=0) \le 10^8 \, \mbox{M}_\mathrm{\odot }$) to enable comparisons with observed scaling relations. Each object in the suite is evolved at high resolution ($\approx 3 \, {\mathrm{pc}}$) and includes stellar radiation, winds, and supernova feedback channels. We compare with previous edge simulations without radiation, finding that radiative feedback results in significantly weaker galactic outflows. This generalizes our previous findings to a wide mass range, and reveals that the effect is most significant at low $M_{\star }$. Despite this difference, stellar masses stay within a factor of two of each other, and key scaling relations of dwarf galaxies (size–mass, neutral gas–stellar mass, and gas-phase mass–metallicity) emerge correctly in both simulation suites. Only the stellar mass–stellar metallicity relation is strongly sensitive to the change in feedback. This highlights how obtaining statistical samples of dwarf galaxy stellar abundances with next-generation spectrographs will be key to probing and constraining the baryon cycle of dwarf galaxies.
Authors
- Justin I. Read (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1164-9302)
- Joseph Breneman
- Stacy Y. Kim (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7052-6647)
- Matthew D A Orkney (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8151-8498)
- Payel Das (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3239-4222)
- Andrew Pontzen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9546-3849)
- D. Scholte (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6867-1244)
- Kristen B. W. McQuinn (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5538-2614)
- A. Saintonge (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4357-3450)
- Martin P. Rey (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1515-995X)
- Robert M. Yates (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9320-4958)
- Oscar Agertz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4287-1088)
- Corentin Cadiou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2285-0332)
- Eric P. Andersson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3479-4606)
- Claudia Muni (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-7216-4922)
- Ethan Taylor (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3127-092X)
- Emily Gray (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-1544-6403)
Institutions
- Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (US)
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- Space Telescope Science Institute (US)
- American Museum of Natural History (US)
- University of Hertfordshire (GB)
- Lund University (SE)
- Durham University (GB)
- Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris (FR)
- University of Surrey (GB)
- Sorbonne Université (FR)
- University of Oxford (GB)
- Institut d'Estudis Espacials de Catalunya (ES)
- Royal Observatory (GB)
- Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté (FR)
- Carnegie Observatories (US)
- Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy (DE)
- University College London (GB)
- University of Bath (GB)
- Universitat de Barcelona (ES)
- University of Edinburgh (GB)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
- Published
- 2025-06-30
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staf1058
- Citations
- 13
- Primary Topic
- Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 15.01
Funders
- UK Research and Innovation
- University of Leicester
- European Commission
- Swedish National Space Agency
- Knut och Alice Wallenbergs Stiftelse
- Vetenskapsrådet
- Science and Technology Facilities Council
- Eurostars