Connecting Angular Momentum and Galactic Dynamics: The complex Interplay between Spin, Mass, and Morphology

TL;DR

This study uses simulations to explore how the angular momentum of dark matter halos relates to galaxy morphology, revealing a connection between halo spin, galaxy type, and angular momentum distribution.

Contribution

It demonstrates, through simulations, the relationship between dark matter halo spin and galaxy morphology, and compares the angular momentum of stars and gas in different galaxy types.

Findings

Disk galaxies have slightly lower stellar specific angular momentum than cold gas.

A dichotomy exists in angular momentum distribution based on galaxy morphology.

Cold gas in disk galaxies has about 40% less angular momentum than the total dark matter halo.

Abstract

The evolution and distribution of the angular momentum of dark matter (DM) halos have been discussed in several studies over the past decades. In particular, the idea arose that angular momentum conservation should allow to infer the total angular momentum of the entire DM halo from measuring the angular momentum of the baryonic component, which is populating the center of the halo, especially for disk galaxies. To test this idea and to understand the connection between the angular momentum of the DM halo and its galaxy, we use the Magneticum simulations. We successfully produce populations of spheroidal and disk galaxies self-consistently. Thus, we are able to study the dependence of galactic properties on their morphology. We find that (1) the specific angular momentum of stars in disk and spheroidal galaxies as a function of their stellar mass compares well with observational results; (2) the specific angular momentum of the stars in disk galaxies is slightly smaller compared to the specific angular momentum of the cold gas, in good agreement with observations; (3) simulations including the baryonic component show a dichotomy in the specific stellar angular momentum distribution when splitting the galaxies according to their morphological type (this dichotomy can also be seen in the spin parameter, where disk galaxies populate halos with slightly larger spin compared to spheroidal galaxies); (4) disk galaxies preferentially populate halos in which the angular momentum vector of the DM component in the central part shows a better alignment to the angular momentum vector of the entire halo; and (5) the specific angular momentum of the cold gas in disk galaxies is approximately 40 percent smaller than the specific angular momentum of the total DM halo and shows a significant scatter.