At the heart of the matter: the origin of bulgeless dwarf galaxies and Dark Matter cores

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates through hydrodynamical simulations that bulgeless dwarf galaxies with shallow dark matter cores naturally form within the LambdaCDM framework by resolving the interstellar medium and supernova-driven outflows.

Contribution

It introduces new high-resolution hydrodynamical simulations that produce realistic bulgeless dwarf galaxies with dark matter cores in a LambdaCDM context, addressing previous discrepancies.

Findings

Simulations produce dwarf galaxies without bulges.

Dark matter density in centers is reduced by over 50%.

Outflows from supernovae remove low angular momentum gas.

Abstract

For almost two decades the properties of "dwarf" galaxies have challenged the Cold Dark Matter (CDM) paradigm of galaxy formation. Most observed dwarf galaxies consists of a rotating stellar disc embedded in a massive DM halo with a near constant-density core. Yet, models based on the CDM scenario invariably form galaxies with dense spheroidal stellar "bulges" and steep central DM profiles, as low angular momentum baryons and DM sink to the center of galaxies through accretion and repeated mergers. Processes that decrease the central density of CDM halos have been identified, but have not yet reconciled theory with observations of present day dwarfs. This failure is potentially catastrophic for the CDM model, possibly requiring a different DM particle candidate. This Letter presents new hydrodynamical simulations in a Lambda$CDM framework where analogues of dwarf galaxies, bulgeless and with a shallow central DM profile, are formed. This is achieved by resolving the inhomogeneous interstellar medium, resulting in strong outflows from supernovae explosions which remove low angular momentum gas. This inhibits the formation of bulges and decreases the dark-matter density to less than half within the central kiloparsec. Realistic dwarf galaxies are thus shown to be a natural outcome of galaxy formation in the CDM scenario.