Compact groups of galaxies in the TNG100 simulation

TL;DR

This study uses the TNG100 simulation to analyze the formation, evolution, and properties of compact galaxy groups, revealing their typical sizes, dynamics, and evolutionary pathways over cosmic time.

Contribution

It provides a detailed characterization of compact galaxy groups in a cosmological simulation and traces their evolutionary history, highlighting their place within the broader galaxy group population.

Findings

Compact groups have median size ~150 kpc and velocity dispersion ~150 km/s.

About 1% of galaxies with stellar mass >10^9 M_sun are in compact groups.

Mergers can transform groups into pairs or triplets, but full merging is rare.

Abstract

Using the TNG100 cosmological simulation, we study the formation and evolution of compact groups of galaxies. Over a redshift range of $0 \lesssim z \lesssim 0.2$, we identify these compact groups as FoF galaxy groups with high mean surface brightness ($\overline{\mu}_r < 26.33 ~ \mathrm{mag~arcsec^{-2}}$) and a minimum of 4 galaxy members. Typically, our compact groups have a median characteristic size of $\sim$$150$ kpc, 1D velocity dispersions of $150 ~ {\rm km ~ s^{-1}}$, and stellar masses around $2\times 10^{11} ~ M_{\odot}$. Roughly 1\% of galaxies of stellar mass above $10^9 ~ M_{\odot}$ lie in physically dense compact groups. We found that these systems do not constitute a separate category within the broader population of galaxy groups; instead, they represent the lower end of the size distribution in the sequence of galaxy group sizes. We traced their evolution backward in time, revealing that they initially form as galaxies systems with a mean low surface brightness that systematically increases to a peak value before stabilizing over time, exhibiting oscillatory behaviour over the following several Gyrs during which mergers may occur. Mergers often transform compact groups with typically four members into galaxy pairs or triplets, which may eventually can increase again their number of members accreting a new galaxy. Nevertheless, the full merging of all constituent galaxies into a single massive galaxy is a rare phenomenon.