Halo shapes, dynamics and environment

Abstract

In the hierarchical structure formation model cosmic halos are supposed to form by accretion of smaller units along anisotropic direction, defined by large-scale filamentary structures. After the epoch of mass aggregation (which depend on the cosmological model), violent relaxation processes will tend to alter the halo phase-space configuration producing quasi-spherical halos with a relatively smooth density profiles. ©2007 Springer.