Hierarchical Object Formation in the Peculiar Velocity Field
Abstract
Description
Using the initial peculiar velocity field, we analytically study the hierarchical formation of gravitationally bound objects. The field is smoothed over a scale that corresponds to the mass of a given class of objects. Through the Zel'dovich approximation, the smoothed field determines how the objects cluster together to form a new class of more massive objects. The standard cosmological parameters lead to the evolution of primordial clouds with 10^6 M(sun) -> galaxies with 10^12 M(sun) -> clusters of galaxies with 10^15 M(sun) -> superclusters of galaxies with 10^16 M(sun). The epochs obtained for the formation of these classes of objects are consistent with observations.
16 pages; This version corrects errors in equations and figures of the published version; The errors are also corrected in the erratum (ApJ, 659, 1792 [2007])
16 pages; This version corrects errors in equations and figures of the published version; The errors are also corrected in the erratum (ApJ, 659, 1792 [2007])