Learning the Universe with PRFM-vol: Introducing a new subgrid model for star formation in cosmological simulations

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ID: 329324
2026
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Abstract
Abstract We introduce PRFM-vol, a new subgrid model for star formation in cosmological simulations that aims to increase the physical realism of cosmological simulations by leveraging results obtained with focused ISM simulations. We deploy a modified effective equation of state and calculate the star formation rate for each gas cell as a function of the ambient densities of gas, dark matter, and stars, based on the pressure-regulated feedback-modulated (PRFM) theory of star formation. Test simulations of our model in isolated galaxies show that we match PRFM predictions and TIGRESS scaling relations remarkably well, provided sufficiently high resolution is available. In particular, we are able to clearly demonstrate the impact of the stellar potential on the star formation rate, thereby retaining an important prediction of PRFM. We then apply our new model to cosmological multizoom simulations and find, compared to our previous TIGRESS/Schmidt model, a significant increase in the stellar scale heights and a slight increase in stellar mass. We demonstrate that modifying the effective equation of state significantly affects the morphology of simulated galaxies. Pronounced stellar clumps appear if the effective pressure at low hydrogen number densities is low, and disappear for higher pressure. We show that the formation of clumps is a result of Toomre instabilities, and conclude that simulated galaxy morphologies can be used to constrain effective equation of state models. Overall, our results establish PRFM-vol as a new self-consistent, physics-motivated subgrid model for star formation in high-resolution cosmological simulations.
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Authors Jan D. Burger, Volker Springel, Eve C. Ostriker, Chang-Goo Kim, Ulrich Steinwandel, Matthew C. Smith, Lars Hernquist, Greg L. Bryan, Rachel S. Somerville, Alon Gurman
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Journal monthly notices of the royal astronomical society
Year 2026
DOI
10.1093/mnras/stag1778
URL
https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stag1778
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