Turbulent Motions and Shocks Waves in Galaxy Clusters simulated with AMR

TL;DR

This paper introduces an adaptive mesh refinement technique in cosmological simulations to better resolve shocks and turbulence in galaxy clusters, revealing detailed dynamics of accretion and chaotic motions.

Contribution

The authors develop a new AMR criterion focused on velocity discontinuities, enabling high-resolution study of shocks and turbulence in galaxy clusters within cosmological simulations.

Findings

Enhanced resolution of shocks and turbulence in simulations

Detailed analysis of gas velocity spectral properties

Insights into accretion and chaotic motions in galaxy clusters

Abstract

We have implemented an Adaptive Mesh Refinement criterion explicitly designed to increase spatial resolution around discontinuities in the velocity field in ENZO cosmological simulations. With this technique, shocks and turbulent eddies developed during the hierarchical assembly of galaxy clusters are followed with unprecedented spatial resolution, even at large distances from the clusters center. By measuring the spectral properties of the gas velocity field, its time evolution and the properties of shocks for a reference galaxy cluster, we investigate the connection between accretion processes and the onset of chaotic motions in the simulated Inter Galactic Medium over a wide range of scales