Various radio observations have shown that the hot atmospheres of galaxy clusters are magnetized. However, our understanding of the origin of these magnetic fields, their implications on structure formation and their interplay with the dynamics of the cluster atmosphere, especially in the centres of galaxy clusters, is still very limited. In preparation for the upcoming new generation of radio telescopes (like Expanded Very Large Array, Low Wavelength Array, Low Frequency Array and Square Kilometer Array), a huge effort is being made to learn more about cosmological magnetic fields from the observational perspective. Here we present the implementation of magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) in the cosmological smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) code gadget. We discuss the details of the implementation and various schemes to suppress numerical instabilities as well as regularization schemes, in the context of cosmological simulations. The performance of the SPH–MHD code is demonstrated in various one‐ and two‐dimensional test problems, which we performed with a fully, three‐dimensional set‐up to test the code under realistic circumstances. Comparing solutions obtained using athena, we find excellent agreement with our SPH–MHD implementation. Finally, we apply our SPH–MHD implementation to galaxy cluster formation within a large, cosmological box. Performing a resolution study we demonstrate the robustness of the predicted shape of the magnetic field profiles in galaxy clusters, which is in good agreement with previous studies.

Magnetic fields in the intra‐cluster medium (ICM) of galaxy clusters have been studied in the past through different methods. So far, our understanding of the origin of these magnetic fields, as well as their role in the process of structure formation and their interplay with the other constituents of the ICM, is still limited. In the coming years, the up‐coming generation of radio telescopes is going to provide new data that will have the potential of setting constraints on the properties of magnetic fields in galaxy clusters. Here, we present zoomed‐in simulations for a set of massive galaxy clusters (Mv ≥ 1015 h−1 M⊙). This is an ideal sample to study the evolution of the magnetic field during the process of structure formation in detail. Turbulent motions of the gas within the ICM will manifest themselves in a macroscopic magnetic resistivity ηm, which has to be taken explicitly into account, especially at scales below the resolution limit. We have adapted the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) gadget code by Dolag & Stasyszyn to include the treatment of the magnetic resistivity, and for the first time we have included non‐ideal MHD equations to better follow the evolution of the magnetic field within the galaxy clusters. We investigate which value of the magnetic resistivity ηm is required to match the magnetic field profile derived from radio observations. We find that a value of ηm∼ 6 × 1027 cm2 s−1 is necessary to recover the shape of the magnetic field profile inferred from radio observations of the Coma cluster. This value agrees well with the expected level of turbulent motions within the ICM at our resolution limit. The magnetic field profiles of the simulated clusters can be fitted by a β‐model‐like profile, with small dispersion of the parameters. We also find that the temperature, density and entropy profiles of the clusters depend on the magnetic resistivity constant, having flatter profiles in the inner regions when the magnetic resistivity increases.

We study the alignments between the angular momentum of individual objects and the largescale structure in cosmological numerical simulations and real data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, Data Release 6 (SDSS-DR6). To this end, we measure anisotropies in the two point cross-correlation function around simulated haloes and observed galaxies, studying separately the one-and two-halo regimes. The alignment of the angular momentum of dark-matter haloes in cold dark matter ( CDM) simulations is found to be dependent on scale and halo mass. At large distances (two-halo regime), the spins of high-mass haloes are preferentially oriented in the direction perpendicular to the distribution of matter; lower mass systems show a weaker trend that may even reverse to show an angular momentum in the plane of the matter distribution. In the one-halo term regime, the angular momentum is aligned in the direction perpendicular to the matter distribution; the effect is stronger than for the one-halo term and increases for higher mass systems.On the observational side, we focus our study on galaxies in the SDSS-DR6 with elongated apparent shapes, and study alignments with respect to the major semi-axis. We study five samples of edge-on galaxies; the full SDSS-DR6 edge-on sample, bright galaxies, faint galaxies, red galaxies and blue galaxies (the latter two consisting mainly of ellipticals and spirals, respectively). Using the two-halo term of the projected correlation function, we find an excess of structure in the direction of the major semi-axis for all samples; the red sample shows the highest alignment (2.7 ± 0.8 per cent) and indicates that the angular momentum of flattened spheroidals tends to be perpendicular to the large-scale structure. These results are in qualitative agreement with the numerical simulation results indicating that the angular momentum of galaxies could be built up as in the Tidal Torque scenario. The one-halo term only shows a significant alignment for blue spirals (1.0 ± 0.4 per cent), consistent with the one-halo results from the simulation but with a lower amplitude. This could indicate that even though the structure traced by galaxies is adequate to study large-scale structure alignments, this would not be the case for the inner structure of low-mass haloes, M ≤ 10 13 h −1 M , an effect apparently more important around red g − r > 0.7 galaxies.

An analytical model predicting the growth rates, the absolute growth times and the saturation values of the magnetic field strength within galactic haloes is presented. The analytical results are compared to cosmological magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) simulations of Milky Way‐like galactic halo formation performed with the N‐body/spmhd code gadget. The halo has a mass of ≈3 × 1012 M⊙ and a virial radius of ≈270 kpc. The simulations in a Λ cold dark matter (ΛCDM) cosmology also include radiative cooling, star formation, supernova feedback and the description of non‐ideal MHD. A primordial magnetic seed field ranging from 10−10 to 10−34 G in strength agglomerates together with the gas within filaments and protohaloes. There, it is amplified within a couple of hundred million years up to equipartition with the corresponding turbulent energy. The magnetic field strength increases by turbulent small‐scale dynamo action. The turbulence is generated by the gravitational collapse and by supernova feedback. Subsequently, a series of halo mergers leads to shock waves and amplification processes magnetizing the surrounding gas within a few billion years. At first, the magnetic energy grows on small scales and then self‐organizes to larger scales. Magnetic field strengths of ≈10−6 G are reached in the centre of the halo and drop to ≈10−9 G in the intergalactic medium. Analysing the saturation levels and growth rates, the model is able to describe the process of magnetic amplification notably well and confirms the results of the simulations.

We present self-consistent high-resolution simulations of NGC4038/4039 (the "Antennae galaxies") including star formation, supernova feedback and magnetic fields performed with the N -body/SPH code Gadget, in which magnetohydrodynamics are followed with the SPH method. We vary the initial magnetic field in the progenitor disks from 10 −9 to 10 −4 G. At the time of the best match with the central region of the Antennae system the magnetic field has been amplified by compression and shear flows to an equilibrium field value of ≈ 10 µG, independent of the initial seed field. These simulations are a proof of the principle that galaxy mergers are efficient drivers for the cosmic evolution of magnetic fields. We present a detailed analysis of the magnetic field structure in the central overlap region. Simulated radio and polarization maps are in good morphological and quantitative agreement with the observations. In particular, the two cores with the highest synchrotron intensity and ridges of regular magnetic fields between the cores and at the root of the southern tidal arm develop naturally in our simulations. This indicates that the simulations are capable of realistically following the evolution of the magnetic fields in a highly non-linear environment. We also discuss the relevance of the amplification effect for present day magnetic fields in the context of hierarchical structure formation.

We present high‐resolution simulations of a multiple merger of three disc galaxies, including the evolution of magnetic fields, performed with the N‐body/smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) code Gadget. For the first time, we embed the galaxies in a magnetized, low‐density medium, thus modelling an ambient intergalactic medium (IGM). The simulations include radiative cooling and a model for star formation and supernova feedback. Magnetohydrodynamics is followed using the SPH method. The progenitor discs have initial magnetic seed fields in the range 10−9–10−6 G and the IGM has initial fields of 10−12–10−9 G. The simulations are compared to a run excluding magnetic fields. We show that the propagation of interaction‐driven shocks depends significantly on the initial magnetic field strength. The shocks propagate faster in simulations with stronger initial field, suggesting that the shocks are supported by magnetic pressure. The Mach numbers of the shocks range from approximately M= 1.5 for the non‐magnetized case up to M= 6 for the highest initial magnetization, resulting in higher temperatures of the shock‐heated IGM gas. The magnetic field in the system saturates rapidly after the mergers at ∼10−6 G within the galaxies and ∼10−8 G in the IGM independent of the initial value. These field strengths agree with observed values and correspond to the equipartition value of the magnetic pressure with the turbulent pressure in the system. We also present synthetic radio and polarization maps for different phases of the evolution, showing that shocks driven by the interaction produce a high amount of polarized emission. These idealized simulations indicate that magnetic fields play an important role for the hydrodynamics of the IGM during galactic interactions. We also show that even weak seed fields are efficiently strengthened during multiple galactic mergers. This interaction‐driven amplification might have been a key process for the magnetization of the Universe.

We present a set of global, self‐consistent N‐body/smoothed particle hydrodynamic (SPH) simulations of the dynamic evolution of galactic discs with gas, including magnetic fields. We have implemented a description to follow the evolution of magnetic fields with the ideal induction equation in the SPH part of the vine code. Results from a direct implementation of the field equations are compared to a representation by Euler potentials, which pose a ∇·B‐free description, a constraint not fulfilled for the direct implementation. All simulations are compared to an implementation of magnetic fields in the gadget code which also includes cleaning methods for ∇·B. Starting with a homogeneous seed field, we find that by differential rotation and spiral structure formation of the disc the field is amplified by one order of magnitude within five rotation periods of the disc. The amplification is stronger for higher numerical resolution. Moreover, we find a tight connection of the magnetic field structure to the density pattern of the galaxy in our simulations, with the magnetic field lines being aligned with the developing spiral pattern of the gas. Our simulations clearly show the importance of non‐axisymmetry for the evolution of the magnetic field.

Galaxy cluster outskirts are described by complex velocity fields induced by diffuse material collapsing towards filaments, gas, and galaxies falling into clusters, and gas shock processes triggered by substructures. A simple scenario that describes the large-scale tidal fields of the cosmic web is not able to fully account for this variety, nor for the differences between gas and collisionless dark matter. We have studied the filamentary structure in zoom-in resimulations centred on 324 clusters from the threehundred project, focusing on differences between dark and baryonic matter. This paper describes the properties of filaments around clusters out to five R200, based on the diffuse filament medium where haloes had been removed. For this, we stack the remaining particles of all simulated volumes to calculate the average profiles of dark matter and gas filaments. We find that filaments increase their thickness closer to nodes and detect signatures of gas turbulence at a distance of ${\sim}2 \rm {{{~h^{-1}\,{\rm Mpc}}}}$ from the cluster. These are absent in dark matter. Both gas and dark matter collapse towards filament spines at a rate of ${\sim}200 \,\rm {km ~ s^{-1}\, h^{-1}}$. We see that gas preferentially enters the cluster as part of filaments, and leaves the cluster centre outside filaments. We further see evidence for an accretion shock just outside the cluster. For dark matter, this preference is less obvious. We argue that this difference is related to the turbulent environment. This indicates that filaments act as highways to fuel the inner regions of clusters with gas and galaxies.