Tom Theuns, Durham

Molecular clouds and galaxy formationBooth, Theuns & Okamoto 07Booth & Theuns 07Booth et al 08

Lighting the Universe with FilamentsGao & Theuns 07

Tom Theuns

Tom Theuns, Durham

• Booth, TT & Okamoto, MN 376, 07

Tom Theuns, Durham

Motivation

Stars form in GMCs, but:

• these are difficult to resolve in cosmological simulations

• have extra physics which is difficult to include

include GMCs using subgrid physics

Tom Theuns, Durham

Physics to model:

Tom Theuns, Durham

Starformation & Molecular Cloud Implementation:

• Molecular clouds represented by ‘sticky particles’ decoupled from SPH

• Sticky particle represents spectrum of molecular clouds

• cloud-cloud interaction same a sticky-particle -- sticky-particle interaction

• Stars form in GMCs (mass cloud > M_*)• Ambient & hot gas simulated with SPH

(Gadget2)

Tom Theuns, Durham

One-zone model

Resolution

Mass-spectrum

Tom Theuns, Durham

Feedback:

• Starformation destroys parent GMC

• Compute volume of SNe bubbles using Sedov or fits from simulation, and dump SNe energy only when porosity > 1Star

• Hot gas / Sne evaporate clouds due to thermal conduction

Tom Theuns, Durham

Stars form in spiral arms

Observed

Results:

Tom Theuns, Durham

Kennicutt law

Tom Theuns, Durham

Atomic Hydrogen density

Tom Theuns, Durham

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (LZW) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.Levine et al 2006 (Science)

Simulation

Tom Theuns, Durham

Molecular hydrogen fraction

Tom Theuns, Durham

M_H2/M_/HI vs pressure (Blitz & Rosolowski)

Tom Theuns, Durham

Winds?

Tom Theuns, Durham

Booth & TT, MN in press

Tom Theuns, Durham

21cm signal and HVCs:

Tom Theuns, Durham

Integrated brightness:

Tom Theuns, Durham

• Booth et al, in preparation

Tom Theuns, Durham

Hot gas:

Tom Theuns, Durham

Tom Theuns, Durham

Tom Theuns, Durham

Interacting galaxies

Cosmological galaxy

Tom Theuns, Durham

Gao & TT, 07

Tom Theuns, Durham

CDM

WDM

Tom Theuns, Durham

Tom Theuns, Durham

Tom Theuns, Durham

Tom Theuns, Durham

Massive stars

Seed for super-massive BH

Low-mass stars