Guillermo Tenorio-Tagle

Two-dimensional Hydrodynamic Models of Super Star Clusters with a Positive Star Formation Feedback

Using the hydrodynamic code ZEUS, we perform 2D simulations to determine the fate of the gas ejected by massive stars within super star clusters. It turns out that the outcome depends mainly on the mass and radius of the cluster. In the case of less massive clusters, a hot high-velocity (~1000 km s−1) stationary wind develops and the metals injected by supernovae are dispersed to large distances from the cluster. On the other hand, the density of the thermalized ejecta within massive and compact clusters is sufficiently large as to immediately provoke the onset of thermal instabilities. These deplete, particularly in the central densest regions, the pressure and the pressure gradient required to establish a stationary wind, and instead the thermally unstable parcels of gas are rapidly compressed, by a plethora of repressurizing shocks, into compact high-density condensations. Most of these are unable to leave the cluster volume and thus accumulate to eventually feed further generations of star formation. The simulations cover an important fraction of the parameter space, which allows us to estimate the fraction of the reinserted gas that accumulates within the cluster and the fraction that leaves the cluster as a function of the cluster mechanical luminosity, the cluster size, and heating efficiency.

On the Rapidly Cooling Interior of Supergalactic Winds

Here we present the steady-state numerical solution and two-dimensional hydrodynamic calculations of supergalactic winds, taking into consideration strong radiative cooling. The two possible outcomes: quasi-adiabatic and strongly radiative flows, are thoroughly discussed, together with their implications on the appearance of supergalactic winds in both the X-ray and visible line regimes.

Breakout: The Origin of Faint Extended Broad Emission Lines Associated with Giant Extragalactic H II Regions

The faint extended broad (≥1000 km s-1) optical emission lines associated with giant H II regions are shown here to be produced in a shell of ISM material smoothly accelerated soon after breakout. Two-dimensional calculations of remnants caused by a strong energy deposit in a low metal abundance ISM are here shown to undergo breakout once encountering a steep density gradient, leading to a fast-moving shell capable of producing the broad and faint emission lines. Energetic sources lead to fast, thick, and hot shells, and when evolving in a low-metallicity ISM, to quasi-adiabatic shells that strongly delay their fragmentation owing to Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities. At the same time, these are smoothly accelerated to reach large distances from the breakout point. The shell acceleration is promoted by the passage of several shocks with small relative speeds, caused by the continuous push exerted by the hot gas that steadily increases its speed to fill the deformed superbubble volume.

On the Extreme Positive Star Formation Feedback Condition in Scuba Sources

We present a detailed study of the hydrodynamics of the matter reinserted by massive stars via stellar winds and supernovae explosions in young assembling galaxies. We show that the interplay between the thermalization of the kinetic energy provided by massive stars, radiative cooling of the thermalized plasma, and the gravitational pull of the host galaxy lead to three different hydrodynamic regimes. These are: (1) the quasi-adiabatic supergalactic winds; (2) the bimodal flows, with mass accumulation in the central zones and gas expulsion from the outer zones of the assembling galaxy; and (3) the gravitationally bound regime, for which all of the gas returned by massive stars remains bound to the host galaxy and is likely to be reprocessed into further generations of stars. Which of the three possible solutions takes place depends on the mass of the star-forming region, its mechanical luminosity (or star formation rate), and its size. The model predicts that massive assembling galaxies with large star formation rates similar to those detected in Submillimeter Common-User Bolometric Array sources (~1000 M ☉ yr–1) are likely to evolve in a positive star formation feedback condition, either in the bimodal or in the gravitationally bound regime. This implies that star formation in these sources may have little impact on the intergalactic medium and result instead into a fast interstellar matter enrichment, as observed in high redshift quasars.

SUPERSONIC LINE BROADENING WITHIN YOUNG AND MASSIVE SUPER STAR CLUSTERS

The origin of supersonic infrared and radio recombination nebular lines often detected in young and massive superstar clusters is discussed. We suggest that these arise from a collection of repressurizing shocks (RSs), acting effectively to re-establish pressure balance within the cluster volume and from the cluster wind which leads to an even broader although much weaker component. The supersonic lines here are shown to occur in clusters that undergo a bimodal hydrodynamic solution, that is within clusters that are above the threshold line in the mechanical luminosity or cluster mass versus the size of the cluster plane. A plethora of RSs is due to frequent and recurrent thermal instabilities that take place within the matter reinserted by stellar winds and supernovae. We show that the maximum speed of the RSs and of the cluster wind are both functions of the temperature reached at the stagnation radius. This temperature depends only on the cluster heating efficiency (η). Based on our two-dimensional simulations we calculate the line profiles that result from several models and confirm our analytical predictions. From a comparison between the predicted and observed values of the half-width zero intensity of the two line components, we conclude that the thermalization efficiency in young super star clusters above the threshold line must be lower than 20%.

ON THE ONSET OF SECONDARY STELLAR GENERATIONS IN GIANT STAR-FORMING REGIONS AND MASSIVE STAR CLUSTERS

Here we consider the strong evolution experienced by the matter reinserted by massive stars, both in giant star-forming regions driven by a constant star formation rate and in massive and coeval superstar clusters. In both cases we take into consideration the changes induced by stellar evolution on the number of massive stars, the number of ionizing photons, and the integrated mechanical luminosity of the star-forming regions. The latter is at all times compared with the critical luminosity that defines, for a given size, the lower mechanical luminosity limit above which the matter reinserted via strong winds and supernova explosions suffers frequent and recurrent thermal instabilities that reduce its temperature and pressure and inhibit its exit as part of a global wind. Instead, the unstable reinserted matter is compressed by the pervasive hot gas, and photoionization maintains its temperature at T ~ 104 K. As the evolution proceeds, more unstable matter accumulates and the unstable clumps grow in size. Here we evaluate the possible self-shielding of thermally unstable clumps against the UV radiation field. Self-shielding allows for a further compression of the reinserted matter, which rapidly develops a high-density neutral core able to absorb in its outer skin the incoming UV radiation. Under such conditions the cold (T ~ 10 K) neutral cores soon surpass the Jeans limit and become gravitationally unstable, creating a new stellar generation with the matter reinserted by former massive stars. We present the results of several calculations of this positive star formation feedback scenario promoted by strong radiative cooling and mass loading.

ON THE HYDRODYNAMIC INTERPLAY BETWEEN A YOUNG NUCLEAR STARBURST AND A CENTRAL SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLE

We present one-dimensional numerical simulations, which consider the effects of radiative cooling and gravity on the hydrodynamics of the matter reinserted by stellar winds and supernovae within young nuclear starbursts (NSBs) with a central supermassive black hole (SMBH). The simulations confirm our previous semi-analytic results for low-energetic starbursts, evolving in a quasi-adiabatic regime, and extend them to more powerful starbursts evolving in the catastrophic cooling regime. The simulations show a bimodal hydrodynamic solution in all cases. They present a quasi-stationary accretion flow onto the black hole, defined by the matter reinserted by massive stars within the stagnation volume and a stationary starburst wind, driven by the high thermal pressure acquired in the region between the stagnation and the starburst radii. In the catastrophic cooling regime, the stagnation radius rapidly approaches the surface of the starburst region, as one considers more massive starbursts. This leads to larger accretion rates onto the SMBH and concurrently to powerful winds able to inhibit interstellar matter from approaching the NSB. Our self-consistent model thus establishes a direct physical link between the SMBH accretion rate and the nuclear star formation activity of the host galaxy and provides a good upper limit to the accretion rate onto the central black hole.