The masses, structure and lifetimes of cold clouds in a high-resolution simulation of a low metallicity starburst
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| Format: | Preprint |
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2024
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| _version_ | 1866914929448058880 |
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| author | Fotopoulou, Constantina M. Naab, Thorsten Lahén, Natalia Cernetic, Miha Rathjen, Tim-Eric Steinwandel, Ulrich P. Hislop, Jessica M. Walch, Stefanie Johansson, Peter H. |
| author_facet | Fotopoulou, Constantina M. Naab, Thorsten Lahén, Natalia Cernetic, Miha Rathjen, Tim-Eric Steinwandel, Ulrich P. Hislop, Jessica M. Walch, Stefanie Johansson, Peter H. |
| contents | We present an analysis of the cold gas phase in a low metallicity starburst generated in a high-resolution hydrodynamical simulation of a gas-rich dwarf galaxy merger as part of the GRIFFIN project. The simulations resolve (4 M$_\odot$ gas phase mass resolution, $\sim$ 0.1 pc spatial resolution) the multi-phase interstellar medium with a non-equilibrium chemical heating/cooling network at temperatures below $10^4$ K. Massive stars are sampled individually and interact with the ISM through the formation of HII regions and supernova explosions. In the extended starburst phase, the ISM is dominated by cold ($T_\mathrm{gas} < 300$ K) filamentary clouds with self-similar internal structures. The clouds have masses of $10^{2.6}$ - $10^{5.6}$ M$_\odot$ with a power law mass function, $dN/dM \propto M^α$ with $α= -1.78 (\pm 0.08)$. They also follow the Larson relations, in good agreement with observations. We trace the lifecycle of the cold clouds and find that they follow an exponential lifetime distribution and an e-folding time of $\sim$ 3.5 Myr. Clouds with peak masses below $10^4$ M$_\odot$ follow a power law relation with their average lifetime $τ_\mathrm{life} \propto M^{0.3}_\mathrm{max}$ which flattens out for higher cloud masses at $ < 10$ Myr. A similar relation exists between cloud size at peak mass and lifetime. This simulation of the evolution of a realistic galactic cold cloud population supports the rapid formation and disruption of star-forming clouds by stellar radiation and supernovae on a timescale less than 10 Myr. |
| format | Preprint |
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arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2408_16887 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | The masses, structure and lifetimes of cold clouds in a high-resolution simulation of a low metallicity starburst Fotopoulou, Constantina M. Naab, Thorsten Lahén, Natalia Cernetic, Miha Rathjen, Tim-Eric Steinwandel, Ulrich P. Hislop, Jessica M. Walch, Stefanie Johansson, Peter H. Astrophysics of Galaxies We present an analysis of the cold gas phase in a low metallicity starburst generated in a high-resolution hydrodynamical simulation of a gas-rich dwarf galaxy merger as part of the GRIFFIN project. The simulations resolve (4 M$_\odot$ gas phase mass resolution, $\sim$ 0.1 pc spatial resolution) the multi-phase interstellar medium with a non-equilibrium chemical heating/cooling network at temperatures below $10^4$ K. Massive stars are sampled individually and interact with the ISM through the formation of HII regions and supernova explosions. In the extended starburst phase, the ISM is dominated by cold ($T_\mathrm{gas} < 300$ K) filamentary clouds with self-similar internal structures. The clouds have masses of $10^{2.6}$ - $10^{5.6}$ M$_\odot$ with a power law mass function, $dN/dM \propto M^α$ with $α= -1.78 (\pm 0.08)$. They also follow the Larson relations, in good agreement with observations. We trace the lifecycle of the cold clouds and find that they follow an exponential lifetime distribution and an e-folding time of $\sim$ 3.5 Myr. Clouds with peak masses below $10^4$ M$_\odot$ follow a power law relation with their average lifetime $τ_\mathrm{life} \propto M^{0.3}_\mathrm{max}$ which flattens out for higher cloud masses at $ < 10$ Myr. A similar relation exists between cloud size at peak mass and lifetime. This simulation of the evolution of a realistic galactic cold cloud population supports the rapid formation and disruption of star-forming clouds by stellar radiation and supernovae on a timescale less than 10 Myr. |
| title | The masses, structure and lifetimes of cold clouds in a high-resolution simulation of a low metallicity starburst |
| topic | Astrophysics of Galaxies |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2408.16887 |