Simulations of multi-phase gas in and around galaxies

K) is a defining feature of the interstellar, circumgalactic, intracluster, and intergalactic media. Accurately simulating its dynamics is critical to improving our understanding of galaxy formation and evolution, however, due to their multi-scale and multi-physics nature, multiphase systems are highly challenging to model. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of numerical simulations of multiphase gas in and around galaxies. We begin by outlining the environments where multiphase gas arises and the physical and computational challenges associated with its modeling. Key quantities that characterize multiphase gas dynamics are discussed, followed by an in-depth look at idealized setups such as turbulent mixing layers, cloud-wind interactions, thermal instability, and turbulent boxes. The review then transitions to less idealized and/or larger-scale simulations, covering radiative supernovae bubbles, tall box simulations, isolated galaxy models including dwarf and Milky Way-mass systems, and cosmological zoom-in simulations, with a particular focus on simulations that enhance resolution in the halo. Throughout, we emphasize the importance of connecting scales, extracting robust diagnostics, and comparing simulations to observations. We conclude by outlining persistent challenges and promising directions for future work in simulating the multiphase Universe.

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Publication Details

Journal
Living Reviews in Computational Astrophysics
Published
2026-04-28
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s41115-026-00025-7
Primary Topic
Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

Simulations of multi-phase gas in and around galaxies

Max Gronke, Evan E. Schneider
Living Reviews in Computational Astrophysics
Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies
article

Simulations of multi-phase gas in and around galaxies

Max Gronke, Evan E. Schneider
article en

Abstract

K) is a defining feature of the interstellar, circumgalactic, intracluster, and intergalactic media. Accurately simulating its dynamics is critical to improving our understanding of galaxy formation and evolution, however, due to their multi-scale and multi-physics nature, multiphase systems are highly challenging to model. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of numerical simulations of multiphase gas in and around galaxies. We begin by outlining the environments where multiphase gas arises and the physical and computational challenges associated with its modeling. Key quantities that characterize multiphase gas dynamics are discussed, followed by an in-depth look at idealized setups such as turbulent mixing layers, cloud-wind interactions, thermal instability, and turbulent boxes. The review then transitions to less idealized and/or larger-scale simulations, covering radiative supernovae bubbles, tall box simulations, isolated galaxy models including dwarf and Milky Way-mass systems, and cosmological zoom-in simulations, with a particular focus on simulations that enhance resolution in the halo. Throughout, we emphasize the importance of connecting scales, extracting robust diagnostics, and comparing simulations to observations. We conclude by outlining persistent challenges and promising directions for future work in simulating the multiphase Universe.

Living Reviews in Computational AstrophysicsVol. 12(1)
University of Pittsburgh (US), Heidelberg University (DE), Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics (DE)
David and Lucile Packard Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, European Commission, Max-Planck-Gesellschaft
Openalex Percentile: Top 7%
Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies
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