scholarly journals Star Formation Thresholds: The View from Inside the Galaxy

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (S315) ◽  
pp. 183-190
Author(s):  
James Di Francesco
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Surface Density ◽  
Column Density ◽  
Star Formation Rate ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
Gould Belt ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Dynamical Properties ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractWe explore the relationship between the total gas surface density and star formation rate surface density, a.k.a., the “Kennicutt-Schmidt relation,” in a Galactic context. Specifically, we probe the origins of thresholds in the behaviour of the K-S relation at 10 M⊙ pc−2 and 100-200 M⊙ pc−2 using images from the Herschel Hi-GAL and Gould Belt surveys. In both cases, pervasive filamentary structures are seen, possibly due to turbulent motions. The Hi-GAL image supports the view that at ~10 M⊙ pc−2 gas becomes molecular, leading to the formation of clouds that harbour star formation. The GBS images suggest the 100-200 M⊙ pc−2 threshold originates from the nature of filaments being stable until a critical column density of ~160 M⊙ pc−2 is reached. Therefore, the transition between non-star-forming and star-forming gas in clouds (and galaxies) may be set universally by the dynamical properties of filaments.

scholarly journals Cosmic rays across the star-forming galaxy sequence. II: Stability limits and the onset of cosmic ray-driven outflows

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roland M Crocker ◽  
Mark R Krumholz ◽  
Todd A Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Cosmic Rays ◽  
Surface Density ◽  
Star Formation Rate ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Cosmic Ray ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
Rate Versus ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Plausible Mechanism

Abstract Cosmic rays (CRs) are a plausible mechanism for launching winds of cool material from the discs of star-forming galaxies. However, there is no consensus on what types of galaxies likely host CR-driven winds, or what role these winds might play in regulating galaxies’ star formation rates. Using a detailed treatment of the transport and losses of hadronic CRs developed in the previous paper in this series, here we develop a semi-analytic model that allows us to assess the viability of using CRs to launch cool winds from galactic discs. In particular, we determine the critical CR fluxes – and corresponding star formation rate surface densities – above which hydrostatic equilibrium within a given galaxy is precluded because CRs drive the gas off in a wind or otherwise render it unstable. Our model demonstrates that catastrophic, CR-driven wind loss is a possibility at galactic mean surface densities below $\, {\lesssim}\, 10^2 \ M_{\odot }$ pc−2. In this regime – encompassing the Galaxy and local dwarfs – the locus of the CR stability curve patrols the high side of the observed distribution of galaxies in the Kennicutt-Schmidt parameter space of star formation rate versus gas surface density. However, hadronic losses render CRs unable to drive global winds in galaxies with surface densities above the ∼102 − 103M⊙ pc−2 transition region. Our results show that quiescent, low surface density galaxies like the Milky Way are poised on the cusp of instability, such that small changes to ISM parameters can lead to the launching of CR-driven outflows, and we suggest that, as a result, CR feedback sets an ultimate limit to the star formation efficiency of most modern galaxies.

scholarly journals Effect of the environment on star formation activity and stellar mass for star-forming galaxies in the COSMOS field

2020 ◽  
Vol 499 (1) ◽  
pp. 948-956
Author(s):  
S M Randriamampandry ◽  
M Vaccari ◽  
K M Hess
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Main Sequence ◽  
Star Formation Rate ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Cosmic Time ◽  
Stellar Mass ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
Galaxy Environment ◽  
Stellar Masses ◽  
The Relationship

ABSTRACT We investigate the relationship between the environment and the galaxy main sequence (the relationship between stellar mass and star formation rate), as well as the relationship between the environment and radio luminosity ($P_{\rm 1.4\, GHz}$), to shed new light on the effects of the environment on galaxies. We use the VLA-COSMOS 3-GHz catalogue, which consists of star-forming galaxies and quiescent galaxies (active galactic nuclei) in three different environments (field, filament, cluster) and for three different galaxy types (satellite, central, isolated). We perform for the first time a comparative analysis of the distribution of star-forming galaxies with respect to the main-sequence consensus region from the literature, taking into account galaxy environment and using radio observations at 0.1 ≤ z ≤ 1.2. Our results corroborate that the star formation rate is declining with cosmic time, which is consistent with the literature. We find that the slope of the main sequence for different z and M* bins is shallower than the main-sequence consensus, with a gradual evolution towards higher redshift bins, irrespective of environment. We see no trends for star formation rate in either environment or galaxy type, given the large errors. In addition, we note that the environment does not seem to be the cause of the flattening of the main sequence at high stellar masses for our sample.

scholarly journals A contribution of star-forming clumps and accreting satellites to the mass assembly of z ∼ 2 galaxies

2019 ◽  
Vol 489 (2) ◽  
pp. 2792-2818 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Zanella ◽  
E Le Floc’h ◽  
C M Harrison ◽  
E Daddi ◽  
E Bernhard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Star Formation Rate ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Stellar Mass ◽  
Mass Ratio ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
Spatially Resolved ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Mass Assembly

ABSTRACT We investigate the contribution of clumps and satellites to the galaxy mass assembly. We analysed spatially resolved HubbleSpace Telescope observations (imaging and slitless spectroscopy) of 53 star-forming galaxies at z ∼ 1–3. We created continuum and emission line maps and pinpointed residual ‘blobs’ detected after subtracting the galaxy disc. Those were separated into compact (unresolved) and extended (resolved) components. Extended components have sizes ∼2 kpc and comparable stellar mass and age as the galaxy discs, whereas the compact components are 1.5 dex less massive and 0.4 dex younger than the discs. Furthermore, the extended blobs are typically found at larger distances from the galaxy barycentre than the compact ones. Prompted by these observations and by the comparison with simulations, we suggest that compact blobs are in situ formed clumps, whereas the extended ones are accreting satellites. Clumps and satellites enclose, respectively, ∼20 per cent and ≲80 per cent of the galaxy stellar mass, ∼30 per cent and ∼20 per cent of its star formation rate. Considering the compact blobs, we statistically estimated that massive clumps (M⋆ ≳ 109 M⊙) have lifetimes of ∼650 Myr, and the less massive ones (108 < M⋆ < 109 M⊙) of ∼145 Myr. This supports simulations predicting long-lived clumps (lifetime ≳ 100 Myr). Finally, ≲30 per cent (13 per cent) of our sample galaxies are undergoing single (multiple) merger(s), they have a projected separation ≲10 kpc, and the typical mass ratio of our satellites is 1:5 (but ranges between 1:10 and 1:1), in agreement with literature results for close pair galaxies.

scholarly journals From peculiar morphologies to Hubble-type spirals: the relation between galaxy dynamics and morphology in star-forming galaxies at z ∼ 1.5

2019 ◽  
Vol 492 (1) ◽  
pp. 1492-1512
Author(s):  
S Gillman ◽  
A L Tiley ◽  
A M Swinbank ◽  
C M Harrison ◽  
Ian Smail ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Angular Momentum ◽  
Star Formation ◽  
Galaxy Evolution ◽  
Surface Density ◽  
Rest Frame ◽  
Star Formation Rate ◽  
High Redshift ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Stellar Mass ◽  
Star Forming

ABSTRACT We present an analysis of the gas dynamics of star-forming galaxies at z ∼ 1.5 using data from the KMOS Galaxy Evolution Survey. We quantify the morphology of the galaxies using HSTcandels imaging parametrically and non-parametrically. We combine the H α dynamics from KMOS with the high-resolution imaging to derive the relation between stellar mass (M*) and stellar specific angular momentum (j*). We show that high-redshift star-forming galaxies at z ∼ 1.5 follow a power-law trend in specific stellar angular momentum with stellar mass similar to that of local late-type galaxies of the form j*  ∝  M$_*^{0.53\, \pm \, 0.10}$. The highest specific angular momentum galaxies are mostly disc-like, although generally both peculiar morphologies and disc-like systems are found across the sequence of specific angular momentum at a fixed stellar mass. We explore the scatter within the j* – M* plane and its correlation with both the integrated dynamical properties of a galaxy (e.g. velocity dispersion, Toomre Qg, H α star formation rate surface density ΣSFR) and its parametrized rest-frame UV / optical morphology (e.g. Sérsic index, bulge to total ratio, clumpiness, asymmetry, and concentration). We establish that the position in the j* – M* plane is strongly correlated with the star-formation surface density and the clumpiness of the stellar light distribution. Galaxies with peculiar rest-frame UV / optical morphologies have comparable specific angular momentum to disc- dominated galaxies of the same stellar mass, but are clumpier and have higher star formation rate surface densities. We propose that the peculiar morphologies in high-redshift systems are driven by higher star formation rate surface densities and higher gas fractions leading to a more clumpy interstellar medium.

scholarly journals The Local Star Formation Rate Surface Density and Metallicity Relation for Star-forming Galaxies

2020 ◽  
Vol 897 (1) ◽  
pp. 61
Author(s):  
Berzaf Berhane Teklu ◽  
Yulong Gao ◽  
Xu Kong ◽  
Zesen Lin ◽  
Zhixiong Liang
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Surface Density ◽  
Star Formation Rate ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Star Forming

scholarly journals On the relationship between gas content, star formation, and global H i asymmetry of galaxies on the star-forming main-sequence

2021 ◽  
Vol 504 (2) ◽  
pp. 1989-1998
Author(s):  
Adam B Watts ◽  
Barbara Catinella ◽  
Luca Cortese ◽  
Chris Power ◽  
Sara L Ellison
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Atomic Hydrogen ◽  
Main Sequence ◽  
Star Formation Rate ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Stellar Mass ◽  
Gas Content ◽  
Merger Activity ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
The Relationship

ABSTRACT Observations have revealed that disturbances in the cold neutral atomic hydrogen (H i) in galaxies are ubiquitous, but the reasons for these disturbances remain unclear. While some studies suggest that asymmetries in integrated H i spectra (global H i asymmetry) are higher in H i-rich systems, others claim that they are preferentially found in H i-poor galaxies. In this work, we utilize the Arecibo Legacy Fast ALFA (ALFALFA) and extended GALEX Arecibo SDSS Survey (xGASS) surveys, plus a sample of post-merger galaxies, to clarify the link between global H i asymmetry and the gas properties of galaxies. Focusing on star-forming galaxies in ALFALFA, we find that elevated global H i asymmetry is not associated with a change in the H i content of a galaxy, and that only the galaxies with the highest global H i asymmetry show a small increase in specific star formation rate (sSFR). However, we show that the lack of a trend with H i content is because ALFALFA misses the ‘gas-poor’ tail of the star-forming main-sequence. Using xGASS to obtain a sample of star-forming galaxies that is representative in both sSFR and H i content, we find that global H i asymmetric galaxies are typically more gas-poor than symmetric ones at fixed stellar mass, with no change in sSFR. Our results highlight the complexity of the connection between galaxy properties and global H i asymmetry. This is further confirmed by the fact that even post-merger galaxies show both symmetric and asymmetric H i spectra, demonstrating that merger activity does not always lead to an asymmetric global H i spectrum.

scholarly journals Impact of relativistic jets on the star formation rate: A turbulence-regulated framework

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ankush Mandal ◽  
Dipanjan Mukherjee ◽  
Christoph Federrath ◽  
Nicole P H Nesvadba ◽  
Geoffrey V Bicknell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Velocity Dispersion ◽  
Star Formation Rate ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
Radio Jets ◽  
Star Formation Activity ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Individual Star ◽  
The Impact

Abstract We apply a turbulence-regulated model of star formation to calculate the star formation rate (SFR) of dense star-forming clouds in simulations of jet-ISM interactions. The method isolates individual clumps and accounts for the impact of virial parameter and Mach number of the clumps on the star formation activity. This improves upon other estimates of the SFR in simulations of jet–ISM interactions, which are often solely based on local gas density, neglecting the impact of turbulence. We apply this framework to the results of a suite of jet-ISM interaction simulations to study how the jet regulates the SFR both globally and on the scale of individual star-forming clouds. We find that the jet strongly affects the multi-phase ISM in the galaxy, inducing turbulence and increasing the velocity dispersion within the clouds. This causes a global reduction in the SFR compared to a simulation without a jet. The shocks driven into clouds by the jet also compress the gas to higher densities, resulting in local enhancements of the SFR. However, the velocity dispersion in such clouds is also comparably high, which results in a lower SFR than would be observed in galaxies with similar gas mass surface densities and without powerful radio jets. We thus show that both local negative and positive jet feedback can occur in a single system during a single jet event, and that the star-formation rate in the ISM varies in a complicated manner that depends on the strength of the jet-ISM coupling and the jet break-out time-scale.

scholarly journals The HASHTAG project I. A survey of CO(3–2) emission from the star forming disc of M31

2019 ◽  
Vol 492 (1) ◽  
pp. 195-209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zongnan Li ◽  
Zhiyuan Li ◽  
Matthew W L Smith ◽  
Christine D Wilson ◽  
Yu Gao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Surface Density ◽  
Star Formation Rate ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Rank Correlation ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
Spearman’S Rank Correlation ◽  
Dust Temperature ◽  
Spearman’S Rank Correlation Coefficient ◽  
Nuclear Ring

ABSTRACT We present a CO(3–2) survey of selected regions in the M31 disc as part of the JCMT large programme, HARP and SCUBA-2 High-Resolution Terahertz Andromeda Galaxy Survey (HASHTAG). The 12 CO(3–2) fields in this survey cover a total area of 60 arcmin2, spanning a deprojected radial range of 2–14 kpc across the M31 disc. Combining these observations with existing IRAM 30 m CO(1–0) observations and JCMT CO(3–2) maps of the nuclear region of M31, as well as dust temperature and star formation rate surface density maps, we are able to explore the radial distribution of the CO(3–2)/CO(1–0) integrated intensity ratio (R31) and its relationship with dust temperature and star formation. We find that the value of R31 between 2 and 9 kpc galactocentric radius is 0.14, significantly lower than what is seen in the nuclear ring at 1 kpc (R31 ∼ 0.8), only to rise again to 0.27 for the fields centred on the 10 kpc star forming ring. We also found that R31 is positively correlated with dust temperature, with Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient ρ = 0.55. The correlation between star formation rate surface density and CO(3–2) intensity is much stronger than with CO(1–0), with ρ = 0.54 compared to –0.05, suggesting that the CO(3–2) line traces warmer and denser star forming gas better. We also find that R31 correlates well with star formation rate surface density, with ρ = 0.69.

scholarly journals The ALMaQUEST survey – III. Scatter in the resolved star-forming main sequence is primarily due to variations in star formation efficiency

2020 ◽  
Vol 493 (1) ◽  
pp. L39-L43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara L Ellison ◽  
Mallory D Thorp ◽  
Lihwai Lin ◽  
Hsi-An Pan ◽  
Asa F L Bluck ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Surface Density ◽  
Main Sequence ◽  
Star Formation Rate ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Molecular Gas ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
The Absolute ◽  
Correlation Statistics ◽  
Formation Efficiency

ABSTRACT Using a sample of 11 478 spaxels in 34 galaxies with molecular gas, star formation, and stellar maps taken from the ALMA-MaNGA QUEnching and STar formation (ALMaQUEST) survey, we investigate the parameters that correlate with variations in star formation rates on kpc scales. We use a combination of correlation statistics and an artificial neural network to quantify the parameters that drive both the absolute star formation rate surface density (ΣSFR), as well as its scatter around the resolved star-forming main sequence (ΔΣSFR). We find that ΣSFR is primarily regulated by molecular gas surface density ($\Sigma _{\rm H_2}$) with a secondary dependence on stellar mass surface density (Σ⋆), as expected from an ‘extended Kennicutt–Schmidt relation’. However, ΔΣSFR is driven primarily by changes in star formation efficiency (SFE), with variations in gas fraction playing a secondary role. Taken together, our results demonstrate that whilst the absolute rate of star formation is primarily set by the amount of molecular gas, the variation of star formation rate above and below the resolved star-forming main sequence (on kpc scales) is primarily due to changes in SFE.

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