Auriga Superstars: Improving the resolution and fidelity of stellar dynamics in cosmological galaxy simulations

TL;DR

The paper introduces the Superstars method, which enhances stellar mass resolution in cosmological galaxy simulations efficiently, improving the sampling and coherence of stellar populations without altering global galaxy properties.

Contribution

The Superstars method provides a computationally inexpensive way to increase stellar resolution in galaxy simulations, improving sampling and reducing numerical artifacts.

Findings

Improved stellar mass resolution by factors of 8 and 64 with minimal additional cost.

Enhanced sampling of stellar populations in the disc and halo.

Reduced numerical heating and better coherence of stellar substructures.

Abstract

Cosmological hydrodynamical simulations have become an indispensable tool to understand galaxies. However, computational constraints still severely limit their numerical resolution. This not only restricts the sampling of the stellar component and its direct comparison to detailed observations, but also the precision with which it is evolved. To overcome these problems we introduce the \emph{Superstars} method. This method increases the stellar mass resolution in cosmological galaxy simulations in a computationally inexpensive way for a fixed dark matter and gas resolution without altering any global properties of the simulated galaxies. We demonstrate the \emph{Superstars} method for a Milky Way-like galaxy of the Auriga project, improving the stellar mass resolution by factors of $8$ and $64$ at an additional cost of only $10\%$ and $500\%$, respectively. We show and quantify that this improves the sampling of the stellar population in the disc and halo without changing the properties of the central galaxy or its satellites, unlike simulations that change the resolution of all components (gas, dark matter, stars). Moreover, the better stellar mass resolution reduces numerical heating of the stellar disc in its outskirts and keeps substructures in the stellar disc and inner halo more coherent. It also makes lower mass and lower surface brightness structures in the stellar halo more visible. The \emph{Superstars} method is straightforward to incorporate in any cosmological galaxy simulation that does not resolve individual stars.