Mass loss in tidally stripped systems; the energy-based truncation method

Understand

The ability to accurately predict the evolution of tidally stripped haloes is important for understanding galaxy formation and testing the properties of dark matter.

• Most studies of substructure evolution make predictions based on empirical models of tidal mass loss that are calibrated using numerical simulations.
• This approach can be accurate in the cases considered, but lacks generality and does not provide a physical understanding of the processes involved.
• Recently, we demonstrated that truncating NFW distribution functions sharply in energy results in density profiles that resemble those of tidally stripped systems, offering a path to constructing physically motivated models of tidal mass loss.