Resolution limits for identifying low-mass relaxed haloes

Determine whether numerical-resolution effects compromise the characterization of galaxy groups below the adopted virial-mass threshold of $10^{12.5}\,\text{M}_\odot$, and establish whether the BHG-based relaxation diagnostics remain valid for such systems.

Background

The analysis is restricted to haloes with virial masses of at least $10^{12.5}\,\text{M}_\odot$, partly because the simulations may not sufficiently resolve the stellar components of lower-mass systems. The authors explicitly identify the possibility that unresolved structure could affect the inferred dynamical state and the reliability threshold of their BHG-based proxies.

Addressing this problem requires simulations with sufficient resolution and observational samples that adequately cover low-mass galaxy groups. The purpose is to establish whether the apparent scarcity or properties of relaxed systems at the low-mass end are physical or caused by numerical limitations.