Corentin Cadiou
CNRS Researcher

Filaments @ Kavli IPMU | 2026

What flows from the cosmic web into galaxies?

Cosmic web: a multiscale structure  

Mpc to galactic scales

Right: Peng+10 · Related: Peng+12 · Left: Zooniverse

“Environmental” quenching  

Higher density | high mass \(\rightarrow\) redder galaxies


⚠️ cannot explain morphology/orientations!

Cluster-like

Void-like

“Environmental” quenching  

Higher density | high mass \(\rightarrow\) redder galaxies


⚠️ cannot explain angular momentum!

Cluster-like

Void-like

Cosmic web: effects on scalar galaxy properties

Distance to filament changes

  • color & sSFR
  • rotational support (\(v/\sigma\))

Left: Laigle+18 (COSMOS)
Right: Kraljic, … CC+19 (Horizon-AGN)
See also: Kraljic, … CC+18 (GAMA)
Farhan's talk yesterday

Triple effect:

  • Halo assembly bias
  • Feedback
  • Accretion

Cosmic web: effects on halo vector properties  

Small \(\perp\) alignment of halo spin/shape with filament axis

\(\perp\) filament

// filament

Interim takeaway 1/3   Cosmic web drives 1%-level effects?

Cosmic web: effects on halo vector properties  

How can we study this?

Sample \(M\) at fixed cosmic web
or sample cosmic web at fixed \(M\)

\( \pm 20\% \)!

Interim takeaway 2/3   Local cosmic web drives 20%-level effects (DM halos)

More in Anatole Storck’s Thursday talk

Cosmic web: effects on galactic
vector properties  

Experiment: CC+22a · Gas torques: CC+22b · Related: Danovich+15

Cosmic-web-scale information trickles to galactic scale
\(\Rightarrow\) what's the messenger?

Interim takeaway 3/3   Local cosmic web drives 20%-level effects (galaxies)

to \(<10\,\mathrm{kpc}\)
@ \( z\approx 2\)

\(+\alpha\)

From \(50\,\mathrm{Mpc}\) @ \( z\approx \infty\)

through \(100\,\mathrm{kpc}\) @ \( z\rightarrow 2\)

How strongly does the cosmic web affect galaxy formation?

\(\ll 1\%\) or \(\gg 20\%\)?

How strongly does the cosmic web affect galaxy formation?
\(\ll 1\%\) or \(\gg 20\%\)?

Sabri Errachdi
PhD work in progress
More in his Wednesday talk

Related methods: Aragón-Calvo 16 · Storck, CC+25

The local cosmic web \(<1\,\mathrm{Mpc}\): theory

2-3 “Cold flows” embedded in local cosmic web pancakes, feeding the galaxy

\( z=2.5, M_\mathrm{halo}=10^{12}\,M_\odot \) ; Danovich+12

CGM emission: how far can we see?

\(R\) = radius · \(L\) = total span / filament length · selected systems and stacks

ObservableInstrument / sample\(z_\mathrm{obs}\)Reach [physical kpc]Reference
Ly\(\alpha\) — QSO pairMUSE: QSO pair\(3.22\)\(R_\mathrm{t}\approx110;\ L\approx700\)Tornotti+25a
Ly\(\alpha\) — webMUSE: LAE overdensity\(\sim4\)\(L\approx1000\)Tornotti+25b
Ly\(\alpha\) — stackMUSE: LAEs\(3\text{–}4\)\(R\approx60\)Guo+24
Ly\(\alpha\) — stackHETDEX: LAEs\(1.9\text{–}3.5\)\(R\approx160\)Lujan Niemeyer+22
C IV, He II, C III]MUSE: QSO stack\(\sim3\)\(R\approx45\)Guo+20
Ly\(\alpha\), He II, C IVKCWI: MAMMOTH-1\(2.3\)\(R\approx100\)Zhang+23 (recycling)
[O II]MUSE: quasar + filament\(1.13\)\(R\approx50;\ L\approx120\)Johnson+22
[O III]JWST: QSO / starburst\(2.808\)\(R\approx60;\ L\approx100\)Peng+25
Balmer / opticalKCWI: IRAS 08339+6517\(0.019\)\(R\approx30\)Nielsen+24
H\(\alpha\), [O III]JWST: quasars\(\sim6\)\(R_{\mathrm{H}\alpha}\approx4\text{–}11{+}\)Ďurovčíková+25
Mg IIMUSE: galaxy group\(1.31\)\(L\approx70\)Leclercq+22
[C I]ALMA: radio galaxy\(3.792\)\(L\approx100\)Emonts+23
CO(4–3)ALMA+ACA: radio QSO\(2.222\)\(L\approx100\)Li+21
[C II] \(158\,\mu\mathrm{m}\)ALMA: galaxy stack\(5.2\text{–}7.1\)\(\sim10\)-kpc-scale haloesFujimoto+19
[C II] \(158\,\mu\mathrm{m}\)ALMA: interacting pair\(5.54\)\(R\approx10\)Posses+25
O VIHST: starburst\(0.235\)\(R\approx23\)Hayes+16
Diffuse X-rayseROSITA: galaxy stacks\(0.01\text{–}0.20\)\(R\approx R_\mathrm{500c}\)Zhang+25
PAHs / warm dustJWST: Makani wind\(0.459\)\(R\approx35\)Veilleux+25

Authors’ interpretation: accretion claimed (incl. recycling)   feedback / interactions favoured   no firm inflow claim

\(R_\mathrm{t}\): CGM–IGM transition. Colours describe the listed gas; they do not establish or exclude concurrent accretion.

From ionised filaments to cold gas
Three complementary views · projected physical scales
Lyα · MUSE
Tornotti+25 · Fig. 1

Tornotti+25a · \(z\simeq3.2\)
See also Herwig+24; Gallego+18

\(L \approx 700\,\mathrm{kpc}\)

CGM–IGM transition: \(R \approx 100\,\mathrm{kpc}\)

[O III] · JWST
Peng+25 · Fig. 2

Peng+25 · \(z=2.8\)

\(L \approx 100\,\mathrm{kpc}\)

Enriched filaments; feedback

[C I] · ALMA
Emonts+23 · NRAO composite

Emonts+23 · \(z=3.8\)

Stream \(L \approx 100\,\mathrm{kpc}\)

Cold-gas stream; inflow candidate
Related accretion diagnostics: Zhang+23 · Johnson+22

Megatron suite of simulations

  1. On-the fly radiative transfer,
  2. 81-ions non-equilibrium thermochemistry,
  3. Chemical enrichment from SN and stellar winds,
  4. Milky-Way progenitor,
  5. down to \(30\,\mathrm{pc}\) resolution in cold gas in the CGM.

The CGM cosmic web \(\lessapprox 100\,\mathrm{kpc}\): theory

Ly\(\alpha\) is hard to interpret, but what about other lines?

  • not so simple geometry,
  • are we even getting the right predictions?

Movies / NEq: Megatron simulations CC+26 · Related NEq with AGN: Segers+17 · See Nir + Isabel + Zhiyuan's talk

H\(\alpha\) recomb. only

[CIV] 1548Å

HeII 1640Å

Interim takeaway   Predictions and interpretation of CGM-CW observations may not yet be mature.

⚠️ This also applies to the IGM

Connecting the cosmic web through the CGM

Effects of cosmic web on galaxies at \(>\mathrm{Mpc}\) well established, but likely massively underestimated.

How these effects reach galaxies is less clear. Uncertainties on:

  • Structure of CGM,
  • Survival of cold flows,
  • Observational interpretations,
  • How much do galaxies remember? [baryon effects]

My take home:

  • we need more controlled experiments to become quantitative & predictive field,
  • we need better simulations to bridge small-scale accretion to observations

Corentin Cadiou · cadiou@iap.fr

Megatron

\(\displaystyle \begin{aligned} \frac{\mathrm{d}n_i}{\mathrm{d}t} &=\underbrace{n_{i+1}\left[n_e\alpha_{i+1}(T)+n_e\alpha_{\mathrm{dust},i+1}(T,Z,N_{j,\mathrm{rad}})+\sum_k^{\mathrm{species}}n_k\xi_{i+1}(T)\right]}_{\text{Creation by recombination from state }i+1} +\underbrace{n_{i-1}\left[n_e\beta_{i-1}(T)+\Gamma_{i-1}(n,N_{j,\mathrm{rad}})+\zeta_{i-1}+\sum_k^{\mathrm{species}}n_k\chi_{i-1}(T)\right]}_{\text{Creation by ionisation from state }i-1}\\[4pt] &\quad-\underbrace{n_i\left[n_e\alpha_i(T)+n_e\alpha_{\mathrm{dust},i}(T,Z,N_{j,\mathrm{rad}})+\sum_k^{\mathrm{species}}n_k\xi_i(T)\right]}_{\text{Destruction by recombination to state }i-1} -\underbrace{n_i\left[n_e\beta_i(T)+\Gamma_i(n,N_{j,\mathrm{rad}})+\zeta_i+\sum_k^{\mathrm{species}}n_k\chi_i(T)\right]}_{\text{Destruction by ionisation to state }i+1},\\[7pt] \frac{\mathrm{d}n_{\mathrm{CO}}}{\mathrm{d}t} &=k_0n_{\mathrm{C\,II}}n_{\mathrm{H_2}}\beta-\Gamma_{\mathrm{CO}}n_{\mathrm{CO}}, \quad\text{with}\quad \beta=\frac{k_1n_{\mathrm{O}}/n_{\mathrm{H}}}{k_1n_{\mathrm{O}}/n_{\mathrm{H}}+\Gamma_{\mathrm{CH_x}}/n_{\mathrm{H}}},\\[7pt] \frac{\mathrm{d}n_{\mathrm{H_2}}}{\mathrm{d}t} &=-C_{\mathrm{coll}}n_{\mathrm{H_2}}-(k_{\mathrm{UV}}+k_{\mathrm{LW}})n_{\mathrm{H_2}}+(R_{\mathrm{d}}+R_{\mathrm{p}})\,n\,n_{\mathrm{H\,I}},\\[7pt] \frac{\mathrm{d}E}{\mathrm{d}t} &=\underbrace{\sum_k^{\mathrm{processes}}\sum_i^{\mathrm{species}}n_iH_k(T,n,N_{j,\mathrm{rad}})}_{\text{Total heating}} -\underbrace{\sum_k^{\mathrm{processes}}\sum_i^{\mathrm{species}}\sum_j^{\mathrm{species}}n_in_jC_k(T,n,N_{j,\mathrm{rad}})}_{\text{Total cooling}},\\[7pt] \frac{\mathrm{d}N_{j,\mathrm{rad}}}{\mathrm{d}t} &=-\underbrace{cN_{j,\mathrm{rad}}\sum_i^{\mathrm{species}}n_i\overline{\sigma}_{i,j}}_{\text{Absorption rate}},\\[5pt] \frac{\mathrm{d}\boldsymbol{F}_{j,\mathrm{rad}}}{\mathrm{d}t} &=-c\boldsymbol{F}_{j,\mathrm{rad}}\sum_i^{\mathrm{species}}n_i\overline{\sigma}_{i,j},\\[5pt] \text{with}\quad n_e &=\sum_i^{\mathrm{species}}n_i\times N_{\text{positive charges on species }i}. \end{aligned}\)

What flows from the CW into galaxies @ IPMU

By Corentin Cadiou

What flows from the CW into galaxies @ IPMU

  • 63