Testing halo models for constraining astrophysical feedback with multi-probe modeling: I. 3D Power spectra and mass fractions

TL;DR

This paper evaluates various analytical models for the distribution of matter and baryons using hydrodynamical simulations, highlighting their accuracy and limitations for upcoming cosmological surveys.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive assessment of existing models' ability to jointly describe matter and baryon distributions in the universe.

Findings

All models can reproduce power spectra with sub-percent to few-percent accuracy.

Model performance in recovering halo properties varies significantly.

Further refinement of models is necessary for reliable multi-wavelength data interpretation.

Abstract

Upcoming Stage-IV surveys will deliver measurements of distribution of matter with unprecedented precision, demanding highly accurate theoretical models for cosmological parameter inference. A major source of modeling uncertainty lies in astrophysical processes associated with galaxy formation and evolution, which remain poorly understood. Probes such as the thermal and kinematic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effects, X-rays, and dispersion measure from fast radio bursts offer a promising avenue for mapping the distribution and thermal properties of cosmic baryons. A unified analytical framework capable of jointly modeling these observables is essential for fully harnessing the complementary information while mitigating probe-specific systematics. In this work, we present a detailed assessment of existing analytical models, which differ in their assumptions and prescriptions for simultaneously describing the distribution of matter and baryons in the universe. Using the Magneticum hydrodynamical simulation, we test these models by jointly analyzing the 3D auto- and cross-power spectra of the matter and baryonic fields that underpin the above probes. We find that all models can reproduce the power spectra at sub-percent to few-percent accuracy, depending on the tracer combination and number of free parameters. Their ability to recover underlying halo properties, such as the evolution of gas abundance and thermodynamic profiles with halo mass, varies considerably. Our results suggest that these models require further refinement and testing for reliable interpretation of multi-wavelength datasets.