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

Pakmor, Rüdiger, Fragkoudi, Francesca, Grand, Robert J. J., Simpson, Christine M., Gómez, Facundo A., van de Voort, Freeke ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6301-638X, Bieri, Rebekka, Trick, Wilma, Werhahn, Maria and Talbot, Rosie Y. 2025. Auriga Superstars: Improving the resolution and fidelity of stellar dynamics in cosmological galaxy simulations. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society , staf1755. 10.1093/mnras/staf1755

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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 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 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 Superstars method is straightforward to incorporate in any cosmological galaxy simulation that does not resolve individual stars.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	In Press
Schools:	Schools > Physics and Astronomy
Publisher:	Oxford University Press (OUP)
ISSN:	0035-8711
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	21 October 2025
Date of Acceptance:	9 October 2025
Last Modified:	21 Oct 2025 10:30
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/181801

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