Magneticum

Magneticum is a suite of cosmological hydrodynamical simulations used to study the formation and evolution of cosmic structures, from galaxies to galaxy clusters. The simulations model the coevolution of dark matter and baryons in representative volumes of the universe, tracking gravity, gas dynamics, radiative cooling, star formation, chemical enrichment, and feedback processes. In some runs, magnetohydrodynamics is included to simulate cosmic magnetic fields and their influence on gas dynamics.

Developed by a collaboration of researchers, Magneticum comprises several campaigns with varying volumes and resolutions to capture processes on both small galaxy scales and large cosmic scales. The project emphasizes realistic physical modeling, including subgrid treatments of star formation, supernova feedback, and active galactic nuclei feedback, along with metal production and distribution.

Outputs from Magneticum include halo and galaxy catalogs and synthetic observations across multiple wavelengths. These data products enable comparisons with observational measurements of the galaxy stellar mass function, cluster scaling relations, baryon fractions, and the properties of the intracluster and circumgalactic media. The simulations are routinely used to investigate galaxy formation pathways, the impact of feedback on star formation, the distribution and state of baryons, and the role of magnetic fields in structure formation.

Status and impact: Magneticum continues to expand with new runs and data releases, contributing to theoretical understanding and serving as a tool for interpreting data from astronomical surveys and observations in X-ray, optical, and radio bands.