The impact of the connectivity of the cosmic web on the physical properties of galaxies at its nodes

TL;DR

This study explores how the number of filaments connected to cosmic web nodes influences galaxy properties, revealing that higher connectivity correlates with specific galaxy characteristics and is consistent across observations and simulations.

Contribution

It demonstrates the relationship between cosmic web connectivity and galaxy properties using SDSS data and compares findings with cosmological simulations, highlighting the role of filamentary infall.

Findings

More massive galaxies are more connected.

Galaxies with higher connectivity tend to be less star-forming.

AGN feedback influences the relationship between mass and connectivity.

Abstract

We investigate the impact of the number of filaments connected to the nodes of the cosmic web on the physical properties of their galaxies using the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We compare these measurements to the cosmological hydrodynamical simulations Horizon-(no)AGN and Simba. We find that more massive galaxies are more connected, in qualitative agreement with theoretical predictions and measurements in dark matter only simulation. The star formation activity and morphology of observed galaxies both display some dependence on the connectivity of the cosmic web at fixed stellar mass: less star forming and less rotation supported galaxies also tend to have higher connectivity. These results qualitatively hold both for observed and virtual galaxies, and can be understood given that the cosmic web is the main source of fuel for galaxy growth. The simulations show the same trends at fixed halo mass, suggesting that the geometry of filamentary infall impacts galaxy properties beyond the depth of the local potential well. Based on simulations, it is also found that AGN feedback is key in reversing the relationship between stellar mass and connectivity at fixed halo mass. Technically, connectivity is a practical observational proxy for past and present accretion (minor mergers or diffuse infall).