Joint X-Ray, Kinetic Sunyaev–Zeldovich, and Weak Lensing Measurements: Toward a Consensus Picture of Efficient Gas Expulsion from Groups and Clusters
5 affiliations
- 1Princeton University
- 2Liverpool John Moores University
- 3University of Cambridge
- 4Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics
- 5Leiden University
Abstract
There is no consensus on how baryon feedback shapes the underlying matter distribution from either simulations or observations. We confront the uncertain landscape by jointly analyzing new measurements of the gas distribution around groups and clusters—DESI+ACT kinetic Sunyaev–Zel’dovich (kSZ) effect profiles and eROSITA X-ray gas masses—with mean halo masses characterized by galaxy–galaxy lensing. Across a wide range of halo masses ( M 500 = 10 13−14 M ⊙ ) and redshifts (0 < z < 1), we find evidence of more efficient gas expulsion beyond several R 500 than predicted by most state-of-the-art simulations. A like-with-like comparison reveals all kSZ and X-ray observations are inconsistent with the fiducial 1 Gpc 3 hydrodynamical FLAMINGO simulation, which was calibrated to reproduce pre-eROSITA X-ray gas fractions: eROSITA X-ray gas fractions are 2 × lower than the simulation, and the kSZ measurements are combined >8 σ discrepant. The FLAMINGO simulation variant with the most gas expulsion, and therefore the most suppression of the matter power spectrum relative to a dark-matter-only simulation, provides a good description of how much gas is expelled and how far it extends; the enhanced gas depletion is achieved by more powerful but less frequent AGN outbursts. Joint kSZ, X-ray, and lensing measurements form a consistent picture of gas expulsion beyond several R 500 , implying a more suppressed matter power spectrum than predicted by most recent simulations. Complementary observables (e.g., thermal Sunyaev–Zel’dovich effect and fast radio bursts) and next-generation simulations are critical to understanding the physical mechanism behind this extreme gas expulsion and mapping its impact on the large-scale matter distribution.
Related
- The SPT-Deep Cluster Catalog: Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Selected Clusters from Combined SPT-3G and SPTpol Measurements over 100 Square Degrees
- Constraining Effective Viscosity in the Intracluster Medium via the Thermal Sunyaev-Zeldovich Effect -- Predictions from the SLOW Constrained Coma Cluster Simulations
- The kinetic Sunyaev Zeldovich effect as a benchmark for AGN feedback models in hydrodynamical simulations: insights from DESI + ACT
- Density-split analyses of the pairwise kinetic Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect
- A possible detection of gas rotation in galaxy groups via the kinetic Sunyaev–Zeldovich effect
BibTeX
@article{siegel2026joint,
title = {{Joint X-Ray, Kinetic Sunyaev–Zeldovich, and Weak Lensing Measurements: Toward a Consensus Picture of Efficient Gas Expulsion from Groups and Clusters}},
author = {Jared Siegel and Alexandra Amon and Ian G. McCarthy and Leah Bigwood and M. Yamamoto and Esra Bülbül and Jenny E. Greene and J. McCullough and Matthieu Schaller and Joop Schaye},
journal = {The Astrophysical Journal},
year = {2026},
month = may,
doi = {10.3847/1538-4357/ae5dc2},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ae5dc2},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Joint X-Ray, Kinetic Sunyaev–Zeldovich, and Weak Lensing Measurements: Toward a Consensus Picture of Efficient Gas Expulsion from Groups and Clusters
AU - Jared Siegel
AU - Alexandra Amon
AU - Ian G. McCarthy
AU - Leah Bigwood
AU - M. Yamamoto
AU - Esra Bülbül
AU - Jenny E. Greene
AU - J. McCullough
AU - Matthieu Schaller
AU - Joop Schaye
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/05/21
JO - The Astrophysical Journal
DO - 10.3847/1538-4357/ae5dc2
UR - https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ae5dc2
AB - There is no consensus on how baryon feedback shapes the underlying matter distribution from either simulations or observations. We confront the uncertain landscape by jointly analyzing new measurements of the gas distribution around groups and clusters—DESI+ACT kinetic Sunyaev–Zel’dovich (kSZ) effect profiles and eROSITA X-ray gas masses—with mean halo masses characterized by galaxy–galaxy lensing. Across a wide range of halo masses ( M 500 = 10 13−14 M ⊙ ) and redshifts (0 < z < 1), we find evidence of more efficient gas expulsion beyond several R 500 than predicted by most state-of-the-art simulations. A like-with-like comparison reveals all kSZ and X-ray observations are inconsistent with the fiducial 1 Gpc 3 hydrodynamical FLAMINGO simulation, which was calibrated to reproduce pre-eROSITA X-ray gas fractions: eROSITA X-ray gas fractions are 2 × lower than the simulation, and the kSZ measurements are combined >8 σ discrepant. The FLAMINGO simulation variant with the most gas expulsion, and therefore the most suppression of the matter power spectrum relative to a dark-matter-only simulation, provides a good description of how much gas is expelled and how far it extends; the enhanced gas depletion is achieved by more powerful but less frequent AGN outbursts. Joint kSZ, X-ray, and lensing measurements form a consistent picture of gas expulsion beyond several R 500 , implying a more suppressed matter power spectrum than predicted by most recent simulations. Complementary observables (e.g., thermal Sunyaev–Zel’dovich effect and fast radio bursts) and next-generation simulations are critical to understanding the physical mechanism behind this extreme gas expulsion and mapping its impact on the large-scale matter distribution.
SN - 0004-637X
SN - 1538-4357
ER -