Puzzling Ultra-Diffuse Galaxy Evolution (PUDGE). I. The existence of a Nube-like galaxy in IllustrisTNG
Nata\v{s}a Pavlov, Ana Mitra\v{s}inovi\'c

TL;DR
This study presents a simulated Nube-like ultra-diffuse galaxy from IllustrisTNG that closely matches the observed Nube, suggesting such galaxies can form within the standard cosmological model through recent mergers and isolated evolution.
Contribution
It provides the first detailed simulation of a Nube-like galaxy that mirrors observed properties, highlighting multiple formation pathways and the importance of analyzing simulation limitations.
Findings
Simulated Nube-like galaxy matches observed structural properties.
Recent merger events can produce ultra-diffuse galaxies.
Extreme outliers can be explained within the standard cosmological model.
Abstract
The recent discovery of the most extended ultra-diffuse galaxy (UDG), Nube, has raised yet another question about the validity of the cold dark matter (CDM) model. The studies using cosmological and zoom-in simulations, which assume CDM, failed to replicate galaxies with the structural properties of Nube. However, the simulation box or the examined population of UDGs may be too narrow to fully capture the range of effects that can lead to the formation of such extraordinary galaxies. In this work we present a case study of a Nube-like galaxy from TNG100, the most extended simulated UDG examined to date that closely mirrors the structural properties of the observed Nube galaxy. Since its formation, the simulated Nube-like galaxy has already been ultra-diffuse and evolved mainly in isolated regions with occasional interactions. Its last major merger was finalized about 1.336 Gyr ago and…
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Taxonomy
TopicsAstronomy and Astrophysical Research · History and Developments in Astronomy · Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies
