scholarly journals Three regimes of CO emission in galaxy mergers

2019 ◽  
Vol 621 ◽  
pp. A104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florent Renaud ◽  
Frédéric Bournaud ◽  
Emanuele Daddi ◽  
Axel Weiß

The conversion factor αCO from the observable CO(1-0) luminosity to the mass of molecular gas is known to vary between isolated galaxies and some mergers, but the underlying reasons are not clearly understood. Thus, the value(s) of αCO that are to be adopted remain highly uncertain. To provide better constraints, we applied the large velocity gradient method to a series of hydrodynamical simulations of galaxies and derived the evolution of αCO. We report significant variations of αCO, and identify three distinct regimes: disk galaxies, starbursts, and post-burst phases. We show that estimating the star formation rate over 20Myr smoothes out some of these differences, but still maintains a distinction between disks and starbursts. We find a tighter correlation of αCO with the gas depletion time than with star formation rate, but deviations are induced by the transitions to and from the starburst episodes. We conclude that αCO fluctuates because of both feedback energy and velocity dispersion. Identifying the phase of an interaction by classical means (e.g., morphology or luminosity) could then help to select the relevant conversion factor that is to be used and to obtain more accurate estimates of the molecular masses of galaxies.

2020 ◽  
Vol 495 (1) ◽  
pp. 199-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jindra Gensior ◽  
J M Diederik Kruijssen ◽  
Benjamin W Keller

ABSTRACT Quenched galaxies are often observed to contain a strong bulge component. The key question is whether this reflects a causal connection – can star formation be quenched dynamically by bulges or the spheroids of early-type galaxies? We systematically investigate the impact of these morphological components on star formation, by performing a suite of hydrodynamical simulations of isolated galaxies containing a spheroid. We vary the bulge mass and scale radius, while the total initial stellar, halo, and gas mass are kept constant, with a gas fraction of 5 per cent. In addition, we consider two different sub-grid star formation prescriptions. The first follows most simulations in the literature by assuming a constant star formation efficiency per free-fall time, whereas in the second model it depends on the gas virial parameter, following high-resolution simulations of turbulent fragmentation. Across all simulations, central spheroids increase the gas velocity dispersion towards the galactic centre. This increases the gravitational stability of the gas disc, suppresses fragmentation and star formation, and results in galaxies hosting extremely smooth and quiescent gas discs that fall below the galaxy main sequence. These effects amplify when using the more sophisticated, dynamics-dependent star formation model. Finally, we discover a pronounced relation between the central stellar surface density and star formation rate (SFR), such that the most bulge-dominated galaxies show the strongest deviation from the main sequence. We conclude that the SFR of galaxies is not only set by the balance between accretion and feedback, but carries a (sometimes dominant) dependence on the gravitational potential.


2012 ◽  
Vol 10 (H16) ◽  
pp. 341-341
Author(s):  
Jonathan Braine

AbstractThe physical and chemical evolution of galaxies is intimately linked to star formation, We present evidence that molecular gas (H2) is transformed into stars more quickly in smaller and/or subsolar metallicity galaxies than in large spirals – which we consider to be equivalent to a star formation efficiency (SFE). In particular, we show that this is not due to uncertainties in the N(H2)/Ico conversion factor. Several possible reasons for the high SFE in galaxies like the nearby M33 or NGC 6822 are proposed which, separately or together, are the likely cause of the high SFE in this environment. We then try to estimate how much this could contribute to the increase in cosmic star formation rate density from z = 0 to z = 1.


2018 ◽  
Vol 620 ◽  
pp. A113 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Argudo-Fernández ◽  
I. Lacerna ◽  
S. Duarte Puertas

Context. Galaxy mass and environment play a major role in the evolution of galaxies. In the transition from star-forming to quenched galaxies, active galactic nuclei (AGNs) also have a principal action therein. However, the connections between these three actors are still uncertain. Aims. In this work we investigate the effects of stellar mass and the large-scale structure (LSS) environment on the fraction of optical nuclear activity in a population of isolated galaxies, where AGN would not be triggered by recent galaxy interactions or mergers. Methods. As a continuation of a previous work, we focus on isolated galaxies to study the effect of stellar mass and the LSS in terms of morphology (early- and late-type), colour (red and blue), and specific star-formation rate (quenched and star-forming). To explore where AGN activity is affected by the LSS, we separate galaxies into two groups, of low- and high mass, respectively, and use the tidal strength parameter to quantify the effects. Results. We found that AGN is strongly affected by stellar mass in “active” galaxies (namely late-type, blue, and star-forming), but that mass has no influence on “quiescent” galaxies (namely early-type, red, and quenched), at least for masses down to 1010 M⊙. In relation to the LSS, we found an increase in the fraction of star-forming nuclei galaxies with denser LSS in low-mass star-forming and red isolated galaxies. Regarding AGN, we find a clear increase in the fraction of AGNs with denser environment in quenched and red isolated galaxies, independently of the stellar mass. Conclusions. Active galactic nuclei activity appears to be “mass triggered” in active isolated galaxies. This means that AGN activity is independent of the intrinsic properties of the galaxies, but is dependent on their stellar mass. On the other hand, AGN activity appears to be “environment triggered” in quiescent isolated galaxies, where the fraction of AGNs as a function of specific star formation rate and colour increases from void regions to denser LSS, independently of stellar mass.


2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (S341) ◽  
pp. 104-108
Author(s):  
William J. Pearson ◽  
Lingyu Wang ◽  
James Trayford ◽  
Carlo E. Petrillo ◽  
Floris F. S. van der Tak

AbstractStarburst galaxies are often found to be the result of galaxy mergers. As a result, galaxy mergers are often believed to lie above the galaxy main sequence: the tight correlation between stellar mass and star formation rate. Here, we aim to test this claim.Deep learning techniques are applied to images from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey to provide visual-like classifications for over 340 000 objects between redshifts of 0.005 and 0.1. The aim of this classification is to split the galaxy population into merger and non-merger systems and we are currently achieving an accuracy of 92.5%. Stellar masses and star formation rates are also estimated using panchromatic data for the entire galaxy population. With these preliminary data, the mergers are placed onto the full galaxy main sequence, where we find that merging systems lie across the entire star formation rate - stellar mass plane.


2020 ◽  
Vol 499 (3) ◽  
pp. 3193-3213
Author(s):  
J Bok ◽  
R E Skelton ◽  
M E Cluver ◽  
T H Jarrett ◽  
M G Jones ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Using mid-infrared star formation rate and stellar mass indicators in WISE (Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer), we construct and contrast the relation between star formation rate and stellar mass for isolated and paired galaxies. Our samples comprise a selection of AMIGA (Analysis of the interstellar Medium in Isolated GAlaxies; isolated galaxies) and pairs of ALFALFA (Arecibo Legacy Fast ALFA) galaxies with H i detections such that we can examine the relationship between H i content (gas fraction, H i deficiency) and galaxy location on the main sequence (MS) in these two contrasting environments. We derive for the first time an H i scaling relation for isolated galaxies using WISE stellar masses, and thereby establish a baseline predictor of H i content that can be used to assess the impact of environment on H i content when compared with samples of galaxies in different environments. We use this updated relation to determine the H i deficiency of both our paired and isolated galaxies. Across all the quantities examined as a function of environment in this work (MS location, gas fraction, and H i deficiency), the AMIGA sample of isolated galaxies is found to have the lower dispersion: σAMIGA = 0.37 versus σPAIRS = 0.55 on the MS, σAMIGA = 0.44 versus σPAIRS = 0.54 in gas fraction, and σAMIGA = 0.28 versus σPAIRS = 0.34 in H i deficiency. We also note fewer isolated quiescent galaxies, 3 (0.6${{\ \rm per\ cent}}$), compared to 12 (2.3${{\ \rm per\ cent}}$) quiescent pair members. Our results suggest the differences in scatter measured between our samples are environment driven. Galaxies in isolation behave relatively predictably, and galaxies in more densely populated environments adopt a more stochastic behaviour, across a broad range of quantities.


1988 ◽  
Vol 101 ◽  
pp. 513-516
Author(s):  
Antonio Parravano

AbstractRecent investigation (Parravano, 1987) shows that the diffuse phases of the ISM condense mainly by the transition from warm gas to small cool clouds (WG → SC). In this work we introduce the new hypothesis that the star formation rate (SFR) in isolated galaxies is self-regulated in such a way that it maintains Pmax close to the ISM gas pressure. Here Pmax is the gas pressure at the marginal state of stability for the transition WG → SC. This hypothesis leads to a relation between global galactic parameters which appears to be applicable to various morphological groups of isolated galaxies.


2020 ◽  
Vol 494 (3) ◽  
pp. 4393-4412 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ulrich P Steinwandel ◽  
Klaus Dolag ◽  
Harald Lesch ◽  
Benjamin P Moster ◽  
Andreas Burkert ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT We investigate the build-up of the galactic dynamo and subsequently the origin of a magnetic driven outflow. We use a set-up of an isolated disc galaxy with a realistic circum-galactic medium (CGM). We find good agreement of the galactic dynamo with theoretical and observational predictions from the radial and toroidal components of the magnetic field as function of radius and disc scale height. We find several field reversals indicating dipole structure at early times and quadrupole structure at late times. Together with the magnetic pitch angle and the dynamo control parameters Rα, Rω, and D, we present strong evidence for an α2–Ω dynamo. The formation of a bar in the centre leads to further amplification of the magnetic field via adiabatic compression which subsequently drives an outflow. Due to the Parker instability the magnetic field lines rise to the edge of the disc, break out, and expand freely in the CGM driven by the magnetic pressure. Finally, we investigate the correlation between magnetic field and star formation rate. Globally, we find that the magnetic field is increasing as function of the star formation rate surface density with a slope between 0.3 and 0.45 in good agreement with predictions from theory and observations. Locally, we find that the magnetic field can decrease while star formation increases. We find that this effect is correlated with the diffusion of magnetic field from the spiral arms to the interarm regions which we explicitly include by solving the induction equation and accounting for non-linear terms.


2019 ◽  
Vol 490 (3) ◽  
pp. 4401-4418 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucia Armillotta ◽  
Mark R Krumholz ◽  
Enrico M Di Teodoro ◽  
N M McClure-Griffiths

ABSTRACT We present a study of the gas cycle and star formation history in the central 500 pc of the Milky Way, known as Central Molecular Zone (CMZ). Through hydrodynamical simulations of the inner 4.5 kpc of our Galaxy, we follow the gas cycle in a completely self-consistent way, starting from gas radial inflow due to the Galactic bar, the channelling of this gas into a dense, star-forming ring/stream at ≈200–300 pc from the Galactic centre, and the launching of galactic outflows powered by stellar feedback. We find that star formation activity in the CMZ goes through oscillatory burst/quench cycles, with a period of tens to hundreds of Myr, characterized by roughly constant gas mass but order-of-magnitude level variations in the star formation rate. Comparison with the observed present-day star formation rate of the CMZ suggests that we are currently near a minimum of this cycle. Stellar feedback drives a mainly two-phase wind off the Galactic disc. The warm phase dominates the mass flux, and carries $100\!-\!200{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ of the gas mass converted into stars. However, most of this gas goes into a fountain and falls back on to the disc rather than escaping the Galaxy. The hot phase carries most of the energy, with a time-averaged energy outflow rate of $10\!-\!20{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ of the supernova energy budget.


2020 ◽  
Vol 499 (1) ◽  
pp. 1099-1115
Author(s):  
Kong You Liow ◽  
Clare L Dobbs

ABSTRACT Young massive clusters (YMCs) are recently formed astronomical objects with unusually high star formation rates. We propose the collision of giant molecular clouds (GMCs) as a likely formation mechanism of YMCs, consistent with the YMC conveyor-belt formation mode concluded by other authors. We conducted smoothed particle hydrodynamical simulations of cloud–cloud collisions and explored the effect of the clouds’ collision speed, initial cloud density, and the level of cloud turbulence on the global star formation rate and the properties of the clusters formed from the collision. We show that greater collision speed, greater initial cloud density and lower turbulence increase the overall star formation rate and produce clusters with greater cluster mass. In general, collisions with relative velocity ≳ 25 km s−1, initial cloud density ≳ 250 cm−3, and turbulence of ≈2.5 km s−1 can produce massive clusters with properties resembling the observed Milky Way YMCs.


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