Warped Disk Galaxies. II. From the Cosmic Web to the Galactic Warp

Journal article

Galactic warps are common in disk galaxies. While often attributed to galaxy–galaxy tides, a nonspherical dark matter halo has also been proposed as a driver of disk warping. We investigate links among warp morphology, satellite distribution, and large-scale structure using the Sloan Digital Sky Survey catalog of warped disks compiled by W.-B. G. Zee et al. Warps are classified into 244 S- and 127 U-types, hosting 1373 and 740 satellites, respectively, and are compared to an unwarped control matched in stellar mass, redshift, and local density. As an indirect, population-level proxy for the host halo’s shape and orientation, we analyze the stacked spatial distribution of satellites. Warped hosts show a significant anisotropy: an excess at 45° < ϕ < 90° (measured from the host major axis), peaking at P(ϕ) ≃ 0.003, versus nearly isotropic controls. Satellites of S-type warps preferentially align with the nearest cosmic filament, whereas those of U-type warps are more often perpendicular. The incidence of warps increases toward filaments (rfila < 4 Mpc h−1), while the number of satellites around warped hosts remains approximately constant with filament distance, indicating a direct influence of the large-scale environment. We discuss possible links between galactic warps and the cosmic web, including anisotropic tidal fields and differences in evolutionary stage.

Authors: Zee, WG; Jung, SL; Paudel, S; Yoon, S

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: American Astronomical Society
• Journal: The Astrophysical Journal
• Volume: 993
• Issue: 2
• Article number: 205
• Publication date: 2025-11-05
• Acceptance date: 2025-09-29
• DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/ae0e13
• EISSN: 1538-4357
• ISSN: 0004637X and 0004-637X
• Language: English
• Keywords: Disk galaxies; Galaxy dark matter halos; Galaxy interactions; Galaxy evolution