# Exploring the effects of galaxy formation on matter clustering through a library of simulation power spectra

## TL;DR

This paper provides a comprehensive library of simulated matter power spectra to understand galaxy formation effects, offering an empirical model that predicts these effects with high accuracy for cosmological analyses.

## Contribution

It introduces a large set of simulation-based power spectra and an empirical model to predict galaxy formation impacts on matter clustering with high precision.

## Key findings

- AGN feedback significantly affects power spectra across scales
- Stellar feedback absence increases AGN feedback effectiveness
- Empirical model predicts galaxy formation effects within 1% accuracy at z=0

## Abstract

Upcoming weak lensing surveys require a detailed theoretical understanding of the matter power spectrum in order to derive accurate and precise cosmological parameter values. While galaxy formation is known to play an important role, its precise effects are currently unknown. We present a set of 92 matter power spectra from the OWLS, cosmo-OWLS and BAHAMAS simulation suites, including different $\Lambda$CDM cosmologies, neutrino masses, subgrid prescriptions and AGN feedback strengths. We conduct a detailed investigation of the dependence of the relative difference between the total matter power spectra in hydrodynamical and collisionless simulations on the effectiveness of stellar and AGN feedback, cosmology and redshift. The strength of AGN feedback can greatly affect the power on a range of scales, while a lack of stellar feedback can greatly increase the effectiveness of AGN feedback on large scales. We also examine differences in the initial conditions of hydrodynamic and N-body simulations that can lead to a ~1% discrepancy in the large-scale power, and furthermore show our results to be insensitive to cosmic variance. We present an empirical model capable of predicting the effect of galaxy formation on the matter power spectrum at z=0 to within 1% for k<1 h/Mpc, given only the mean baryon fraction in galaxy groups. Differences in group baryon fractions can also explain the quantitative disagreement between predictions from the literature. All total and dark matter only power spectra in this library will be made publicly available at powerlib.strw.leidenuniv.nl.