We have determined lead (Pb) abundances for twelve red giants having [Fe/H] between -2.1 and -1.3, and its upper-limits for two lower metallicity objects, as well as the abundances of lanthanum (La) and europium (Eu). The averages of [Pb/Fe] and [Pb/Eu] are -0.3 and -0.6, respectively, and no clear increase of these ratios with increasing metallicity is found. The [La/Eu] values are only slightly higher than that of the r-process component in solar-system material. Combining the previous studies for globular clusters, these results suggest little contribution of the s-process to Pb of the field stars studied here, supporting the estimate of Pb production by the r-process from the solar-system abundances.
We investigate the enrichment of europium, as a representative of r-process elements, in the Galactic halo. In present chemical evolution models, stars are assumed to be formed through shock processes by supernovae (SNe). The enrichment of the interstellar medium is calculated by a one-zone approach. The observed large dispersions in [Eu/Fe] for halo stars, converging with increasing metallicity, can be explained with our models. In addition, the mass range of SNe for the {\it r}-process site is constrained to be either stars of $8-10 M_\odot$ or $\gtrsim 30 M_\odot$.
We discuss the existence of a mass-metallicity relation among galactic halo globular clusters. The lack of any luminosity-metallicity correlation in globular cluster systems has been used as an argument against self-enrichment models of cluster formation. We show that such a relation is statistically present among the galactic Old Halo globulars. This observational correlation implies that the least massive old clusters are the most metal-rich. This is in contradiction with the idea that, if globular clusters were self-enriched systems, the most metal-rich clusters would also be the most massi…
Based on a model of globular cluster self-enrichment published in a previous paper, we present an explanation for the metallicity gradient observed throughout the galactic Old Halo. Our self-enrichment model is based on the ability of globular cluster progenitor clouds to retain the ejecta of a first generation of Type II Supernovae. The key point is that this ability depends on the pressure exerted on the progenitor cloud by the surrounding protogalactic medium and therefore on the location of the cloud in the protoGalaxy. Since there is no significant (if any) metallicity gradient in the who…
An early history of metal enrichment in the Galactic halo is studied. We investigate chemical inhomogeneity by using a stochastic chemical evolution model. The model confronts with metallicity distribution function of long-lived halo stars which is found to be a clue to obtain the best model prescriptions. We find that the star formation in the halo virtually terminated by around 1 Gyr and that the halo has never been chemically homogeneous in its star formation history. This conclusion does not depend whether mass loss from the halo is taken into account or not. Observed ratios of alpha-eleme…
We explore the self-enrichment hypothesis for globular cluster formation with respect to the star formation aspect. Following this scenario, the massive stars of a first stellar generation chemically enrich the globular progenitor cloud up to Galactic halo metallicities and sweep it into an expanding spherical shell of gas. This paper investigates the ability of this swept proto-globular cloud to become gravitationally unstable and, therefore, to seed the formation of second generation stars which may later on form a globular cluster. We use a simple model based on a linear perturbation theory…
We present a model of globular cluster self-enrichment. In the protogalaxy, cold and dense clouds embedded in the hot protogalactic medium are assumed to be the progenitors of galactic halo globular clusters. The massive stars of a first generation of metal-free stars, born in the central areas of the proto-globular cluster clouds, explode as Type II supernovae. The associated blast waves trigger the expansion of a supershell, sweeping all the material of the cloud, and the heavy elements released by these massive stars enrich the supershell. A second generation of stars is born in these compr…
A population number synthesis code follows in detail the evolution of a population of single stars and of close binaries. We use our code to simulate the population of neutron star - neutron star and black hole - neutron star binaries. We then combine our population number synthesis code with a galactic chemical evolutionary model in order to follow the time evolution of the formation and merger rate of these double compact star binaries and the resulting chemical enrichment of r-process elements, over the whole Galactic lifetime. It can be concluded that the neutron star/black hole merger pro…
We investigate the origin of the abundance variations observed among similarly aged F and G dwarfs in the local Galactic disk. We present arguments in support of combined infall of metal-deficient gas and sequential enrichment by successive stellar generations in the local Galactic disk ISM. We show that galactic chemical evolution models which take into account these processes simultaneously are consistent with both the observed abundance variations among similarly aged dwarfs in the solar neighbourhood and the abundances observed in the local disk ISM. For reasonable choices of parameters, t…
[Abridged] We analyze the exchange of dark matter between halos, subhalos, and their environments in a high-resolution cosmological N-body simulation of a Lambda CDM cosmology. At each analyzed redshift z we divide the dark matter particles into 4 components: (i) isolated galactic halos, (ii) subhalos, (iii) the diffuse medium of group and cluster halos, and (iv) the background outside of virialized halos. We follow the time evolution of the mass distribution and flows between these components and provide fitting functions for the exchange rates. We use our derived exchange rates to gauge the …
We compare the metallicity distribution of Galactic Halo stars with 3D realizations of hierarchical galaxy formation. Outflows from dwarf galaxies enrich the intergalactic medium inhomogeneously, at a rate depending on the local galaxy density. Consequently, the first stars created in small early-forming galaxies are less metal-rich that the first stars formed in more massive galaxies which typically form later. As most halo stars are likely to originate in accreted dwarfs, while disk stars formed out of outflow-enriched gas, this scenario naturally generates a ``metallicity floor'' for old di…
We investigate efficiency and time dependence of metal enrichment processes in the Intra-Cluster Medium (ICM). In this presentation we concentrate on the effects of galactic winds. The mass loss rates due to galactic winds are calculated with a special algorithm, which takes into account cosmic rays and magnetic fields. This algorithm is embedded in a combined N-body/hydrodynamic code which calculates the dynamics and evolution of a cluster. We present mass loss rates depending on galaxy properties like type, mass, gas mass fraction and the surrounding ICM. In addition we show metallicity maps…
We study the evolution of the galactic globular cluster system to determine its initial mass-function and the fraction of halo stars that could have come from disrupted globular clusters. We study the cluster evolution under the influence of two destruction mechanisms: Two-body relaxation and dynamical friction. New results of N-body simulations are used for the lifetimes of clusters dissolving under the influence of two-body relaxation. Two different mass-functions are studied: A gaussian initial distribution in log(M_C) with mean mass and scatter similar to what one observes for the galactic…
We have detected the [S IV] 10.5 micron and [Ne II] 12.8 micron fine-structure lines in the halo population planetary nebula (PN) DdDm 1, and set upper limits on their intensities in the halo PN H 4-1. We also present new measurements of optical lines from various ions of S, Ne, O, and H for DdDm 1, based on a high-dispersion spectrum covering the spectral range 3800 A to 1 micron. These nebulae have similar O/H abundances, (O/H) = 1e-4, but S/H and Ne/H are about half an order of magnitude lower in H 4-1 than in DdDm 1; thus H 4-1 appears to belong to a more metal-poor population. This suppor…
This paper discusses a semi-numerical method of investigating the enrichment of the intergalactic medium by galactic winds. We find that most galaxies at z >~ 3 should be driving winds, and that (if these winds are similar to those at low-z) these winds should escape to large distances. Our calculations -- which permit exploration of a large region of model parameter space -- indicate that the wind velocity, the mass of the wind-driving galaxies, the fraction of ambient material entrained, and the available time (between wind launch and the observed redshift) all affect wind propagation signif…
We present chemical evolution models for the Galactic disk. We also present a new determination of X, Y, and Z for M17 a Galactic metal-rich Hii region. We compare our models for the Galactic disk with the Galactic Hii regions abundances. The $ΔY/ΔO$ ratio predicted from the galactic chemical evolution model is in very good agreement with the $ΔY/ΔO$ value derived from M17 and the primordial helium abundance, Yp, taking into account the presence of temperature variations in this Hii region. From the M17 observations we obtain that $ΔY/ΔZ = 1.97 \pm 0.41$, in excellent agreement with two $ΔY/ΔZ…
We show that the winds identified with high-redshift low-mass galaxies may strongly affect the formation of stars in more massive galaxies that form later. With 3D realizations of a simple linear growth model we track gas shocking, metal enrichment, and cooling, together with dark halo formation. We show that outflows typically strip baryonic material out of collapsing intermediate mass halos, suppressing star formation. More massive halos can trap the heated gas but collapse late, leading to a broad bimodal redshift distribution, with a larger characteristic mass associated with the lower red…
We have tried to understand the recent observations related to metallicity in Ly $α$ forest clouds in the framework of the two component model suggested by Chiba & Nath (1997). We find that even if the mini-halos were chemically enriched by an earlier generation of stars, to have [C/H] $\simeq$ -2.5, the number of C IV lines with column density $>10^{12} cm^{-2}$, contributed by the mini-halos, at the redshift of 3, would be only about 10% of the total number of lines, for a chemical enrichment rate of $(1+z)^{-3}$ in the galaxies. Recently reported absence of heavy element lines associated wi…
AIMS: We spectroscopically characterize the Galactic Bulge to infer its star formation timescale, compared to the other Galactic components, through the chemical signature on its individual stars. METHODS: We derived iron and oxygen abundances for 50 K giants in four fields towards the Galactic bulge. High resolution (R=45,000) spectra for the target stars were collected with FLAMES-UVES at the VLT. RESULTS: Oxygen, as measured from the forbidden line at 6300 Å, shows a well-defined trend with [Fe/H], with [O/Fe] higher in bulge stars than in thick disk ones, which were known to be more oxygen…
Observations give evidences of the presence of metals in the intergalactic medium (IGM). The stars responsible for transforming hydrogen and helium into more complex atoms do not form outside the galaxies in the standard scenario of galaxy formation. Supernovae-driven winds and their associated feedback was proposed as a possible solution to explain such enrichment of the IGM. It turned out that a proper modelling of supernovae explosions within a turbulent interstellar medium (ISM) is a difficult task. Recent advances have been obtained using a multiphase approach to solve for the thermal sta…
A substantial increase of the mean logarithmic mass $<\ln A>$ of galactic cosmic rays {\em vs} energy has been observed . We study three effects that could explain this trend i) different source spectra for protons and heavy nuclei ii) a selective nuclear destruction in flight of heavies iii) a gradient of the source number and chemical composition in the galactic disk. We take advantage of the diffusive cosmic ray propagation model developed at LAPTH to study specifically the geometrical aspects of the propagation and extend it to high energy. Using a simple modeling of the spectral knee arou…
We investigate the efficiency of galactic mass loss, triggered by ram-pressure stripping and galactic winds of cluster galaxies, on the chemical enrichment of the intra-cluster medium (ICM). We combine N-body and hydrodynamic simulations with a semi-numerical galaxy formation model. By including simultaneously different enrichment processes, namely ram-pressure stripping and galactic winds, in galaxy-cluster simulations, we are able to reproduce the observed metal distribution in the ICM. We find that the mass loss by galactic winds in the redshift regime z>2 is ~10% to 20% of the total galact…
We find a new analytical solution for the chemical evolution equations, taking into account the delayed contribution of all low and intermediate mass stars (LIMS) as one representative star that enriches the interstellar medium.This solution is built only for star formation rate proportional to the gas mass in a closed box model. We obtain increasing C/O and N/O ratios with increasing O/H, behavior impossible to match with the Instantaneous Recycling Approximation (IRA). Our results, obtained by two analytical equations, are very similar to those found by numerical models that consider the lif…
We simulate cosmic chemical enrichment with a hydrodynamical model including supernova and hypernova feedback. We find that the majority of stars in present-day massive galaxies formed in much smaller galaxies at high redshifts, despite their late assembly times. The hypernova feedback drives galactic outflows efficiently in low mass galaxies, and these winds eject heavy elements into the intergalactic medium. The ejected baryon fraction is larger for less massive galaxies, correlates well with stellar metallicity. The observed mass-metallicity relation is well reproduced as a result of the ma…
Hot, X-ray emitting gaseous halos around massive elliptical galaxies are a result of both stellar mass loss and inflow toward the overdensity from which giant ellipticals and their associated galaxy groups formed. The metal abundance in this gas contains important information about early star formation and past supernova activity. We find that Type II supernovae based on a Salpeter IMF, plus a small number of additional Type Ia supernovae, can explain the the density, temperature and abundance profiles currently observed in gaseous halos around massive ellipticals. Within the central, opticall…
Studies of quasar absorption lines reveal that the low density intergalactic medium at z ~ 3 is enriched to 0.001-0.01 solar metallicity. This enrichment may have occurred in an early generation of Population III stars at redshift z >~ 10, by protogalaxies at 6 <~ z <~ 10, or by larger galaxies at 3 <~ z <~ 6. This paper addresses the third possibility by calculating the enrichment of the IGM at z >~ 3 by galaxies of baryonic mass >~ 10^8.5 solar masses. We use already completed cosmological simulations to which we add a prescription for chemical evolution and metal ejection by winds, assuming…
We present results from three-dimensional numerical simulations of the dynamics of SN-driven bubbles as they propagate through and escape the grasp of subgalactic halos with masses M ~ 10^8 Msun at redshift z=9. The hydrodynamic simulations use a nested grid method to follow the evolution of explosive multi-SN events operating on the characteristic timescale of a few x 10^7 yr, the lifetime of massive stars. The results confirm that, if the star formation efficiency of subgalactic halos is close to 10%, a significant fraction of the halo gas will be lifted out of the potential well (`blow-away…
High resolution (R > 40 000) and high S/N spectra have been acquired with UVES on the VLT-Kueyen (Paranal Observatory, ESO Chile) for several main sequence turnoff stars (V ~ 17 mag) and subgiants at the base of the Red Giant Branch (V ~ 16 mag) in three globular clusters (NGC 6397, NGC 6752 and 47 Tuc/NGC 104) at different metallicities (respectively [Fe/H] = -2.0; -1.5; -0.7$). Spectra for a sample of 25 field halo subdwarves have also been taken with equal resolution, but higher S/N. These data have been used to determine the abundances of several neutron-capture elements in these three clu…
We have examined the metal enrichment of the intergalactic medium (IGM) based on a galactic wind model. A galactic wind driven by supernovae brings metallic gas to the IGM but not so far beyond the gravitational potential. The expanding velocity of the outflow depends on the star formation timescale. Examining 3D calculation for the IGM in CDM model, we find that only 10 % region has metallicity larger than $10^{-2}Z_{\odot}$ at $z=3$. Wide range of the IGM metallicity produces variety of CIV column densities for a fixed HI column density.
Galactic globular cluster (GC) stars exhibit abundance patterns which are not shared by their field counterparts, In the framework of the widely accepted "self-enrichment" scenario for GCs, we present a new method to derive the Initial Mass Function (IMF) of the polluter stars, by using the observed O/Na abundance distribution. We focus on NGC 2808, a GC for which the largest sample of O and Na abundance determinations is presently available. We consider two classes of possible "culprits" : massive Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars (4-9 Msun) and winds of massive stars (WMS) in the mass rang…
By means of chemo-photometric models for galaxies of different morhological types, we have carried out a detailed study of the history of element production by spheroidal and dwarf irregular galaxies. Spheroidal galaxies suffer a strong and intense star formation episode at early times. In dwarf irregulars, the SFR proceeds at a low regime but continuously. Both galactic types enrich the IGM with metals, by means of galactic winds. We have assumed that the galaxy number density is fixed and normalized to the value of the optical luminosity function observed in the local universe. Our models al…
We present the first detailed abundance analysis of the metal-poor giant HKII 17435-00532. This star was observed as part of the University of Texas long-term project "Chemical Abundances of Stars in the Halo" (CASH). A spectrum was obtained with the High Resolution Spectrograph (HRS) on the Hobby-Eberly Telescope with a resolving power of R~15,000. Our analysis reveals that this star may be located on the red giant branch, red horizontal branch, or early asymptotic giant branch. We find that this metal-poor ([Fe/H]=-2.2) star has an unusually high lithium abundance (log eps (Li)=+2.1), mild c…
First-ascent red giants with strong and very strong Li lines have just been discovered in globular clusters. Using the stellar internal prompt 7Li enrichment - mass loss scenario, we explore the possibility of 7Li enrichment in the interstellar matter of the globular cluster M3 produced by these Li-rich giants. We found that enrichment as large as 70% or more compared to the initial 7Li content of M3 can be obtained during the entire life of this cluster. However, due to the several crossings of M3 into the Galactic plane, the new 7Li will be very probably removed by ram pressure into the disk…
We have developed an analytical model for the evolution of anisotropic galactic outflows. These outflows follow the path of least resistance, and thus travel preferentially into low-density regions, away from cosmological structures where galaxies form. We show that anisotropic outflows can significantly enrich low-density systems, while reducing the enrichment of overdense regions.
Hydrogen-burning is the root cause of the star-to-star abundance variations of light nuclei in Galactic globular clusters (GC). In the present work we constrain the physical conditions that gave rise to the observed abundance patterns of Li, C, N, O, Na, Mg, Al, as well as Mg isotopes in the typical case of NGC6752. We perform nucleosynthesis calculations at constant temperature, adopting realistic initial abundances for the proto-cluster gas. We use a detailed nuclear reaction network and state-of-the-art nuclear reaction rates. Although simplistic, our analysis provides original results and …
We have extended previous analytical studies of the interaction of dark halos with galactic disks by introducing for the halo particles anisotropic distribution functions in phase space. For this purpose we have employed the shearing sheet model of a patch of a galactic disk embedded in a homogeneous halo. We find that velocity anisotropy increases considerably the maximum growth factor of perturbations in the disk.
We assess supernova (SN)-driven pregalactic outflows as a mechanism for distributing the product of stellar nucleosynthesis over large cosmological volumes prior to the reionization epoch. SN ejecta will escape the grasp of halos with virial temperatures T_vir>10^{4.3} K (corresponding to masses M>10^8 h^{-1} M_sun at redshift z=9 when they collapse from 2-sigma fluctuations) if rapid cooling can take place, and a significant fraction of their baryonic mass is converted into stars over a dynamical timescale. We study the evolution of SN-driven bubbles as they blow out from subgalactic halos an…
Observations of metal lines in $\lyal$ absorption systems of small H~I column density and their ubiquitous nature suggest that the intergalactic medium (IGM) was enriched to about $Z \sim 0.01 \> Z_{\odot}$ by a redshift $z \sim 3$. We investigate the role of winds from small star-forming galaxies at high $z$ in enriching the IGM. The existence of large numbers of small galaxies at high $z$ follows naturally from hierarchical clustering theories (e.g. CDM). For analytical simplicity we assume that the galactic winds escape the galaxies at a single characteristic redshift $z_{in}$, and we model…
We have designed an analytical model for the evolution of anisotropic galactic outflows. These outflows follow the path of least resistance, and thus travel preferentially into low-density regions, away from cosmological structures where galaxies form. We show that anisotropic outflows can significantly enrich low-density systems with metals.
We review the various techniques used to constrain the Galactic halo mass profile for radii > 20 kpc with particular emphasis on identifying a self-consistent halo model and resolving the apparent discrepancies present in the literature on this subject. We collate published results and demonstrate that they are all consistent with a Galactic halo that is nearly isothermal with a characteristic velocity of 180 to 220 km/sec and an extent >~ 200 kpc.
We have developed an analytical model to describe the evolution of anisotropic galactic outflows. With it, we investigate the impact of varying opening angle on galaxy formation and the evolution of the IGM. We have implemented this model in a Monte Carlo algorithm to simulate galaxy formation and outflows in a cosmological context. Using this algorithm, we have simulated the evolution of a comoving volume of size [12h^(-1)Mpc]^3 in the LCDM universe. Starting from a Gaussian density field at redshift z=24, we follow the formation of ~20,000 galaxies, and simulate the galactic outflows produce…
We examine metal and entropy content in galaxy groups having T_X~0.5-2 keV in cosmological hydrodynamic simulations. Our simulations include a well-constrained prescription for galactic outflows following momentum-driven wind scalings, and a sophisticated chemical evolution model. Our simulation with no outflows reproduces observed iron abundances in X-ray emitting gas, but the oxygen abundance is too low; including outflows yields iron and oxygen abundances in good agreement with data. X-ray measures of [O/Fe] primarily reflect metal distribution mechanisms into hot gas, not the ratio of Type…
Galactic collisions are normally modeled in a CDM model by assuming the DM consists of a small number of very massive objects. This note shows that the behaviour of a CDM halo during collisions depends critically on the mass of the particles that make it up, and in particular, all halo particles below a certain characteristic mass are likely to be lost.
We study the hypothesis that high-velocity clouds (HVCs) may originate from instabilities within the gaseous phase of the Galactic halo. According to the hydrostatic equilibrium model of Kalberla & Kerp (1998), we determine the probability distribution of occurrence of instabilities within the Galactic halo. Instabilities may produce condensations within the Galactic halo beyond a z-distances of 4 kpc, which are accelerated by gravity and decelerated by drag-forces. We present evidence that the HI high-velocity dispersion component, discovered by Kalberla et al. (1998) is associated with high-…
The status of the microlensing search for galactic dark matter in the form of massive astronomical compact halo objects (machos) is reviewed. Unresolved issues are discussed, as well as possible ways to solve these.
I review the properties of the Galaxy's stellar halo, specifically as traced by horizontal branch stars, but with reference to and in comparison with other stellar tracers. I discuss the halo density profile, the variation in horizontal branch morphology with Galactic position, and the kinematics of halo stars in several regions of the Galaxy. I summarize the horizontal branch star findings and place them in the context of a currently popular picture of Galactic halo formation.
Molecular hydrogen clouds can contribute substantially to the galactic halo< dark matter and may lead to the birth of massive halo objects (MHOs) observed indirectly by microlensing. We present a method to detect these molecular clouds in the halo of M31 using the Doppler shift effect. We also consider the possibility to directly observe MHOs in the halo of M31 via their infrared emission.
If gamma ray burst sources are in the galactic halo they inevitably involve a creation of an opaque pair plasma fireball, just like in cosmological sources. We find that the typical physical conditions in a galactic halo fireball are: optical depth $\ap 10^8$, thermal energy $\ap 100 KeV$, maximal relativstic expansion $\G \ap 300 $ and a maximal baryonic load of $\ap 10^{-15} M_\odot$. This does not rule out galctic halo models but it poses an addtional severe constraint on all such sources. A comparison of these conditions with the physical conditions at cosmological fireballs reveal that ga…
We reply to the criticism of Gibson & Flynn and of Graff regarding "Direct detection of galactic halo dark matter" by Oppenheimer et al. (2001) (Science, Vol. 292, p. 698), which reported on the discovery of a significant population of halo white dwarfs found in our South Galactic Cap survey. None of their arguments against our claims withstand close scrutiny.
We investigate effects of time evolution of a rich cluster of galaxies on its member galactic halos in the standard cold dark matter (SCDM) universe using high resolution N-body simulations. We identify several hundred galactic halos within virial radius of our simulated cluster. We also find that a large number of halos have been tidally disrupted at z = 0. Therefore we improve a method of deriving merging history trees of galaxies taking account of tidally stripped galaxies.
The structure, kinematics and dynamics of the Galactic stellar halo are reviewed including evidence of substructure in the spatial distribution and kinematics of halo stars. Implications for galaxy formation theory are subsequently discussed; in particular it is argued that the observed kinematics of stars in the outer Galactic halo can be used as an important constraint on viable galaxy formation scenarios.
To determine the relative contributions of galactic and intracluster stars to the enrichment of the intracluster medium (ICM), we present X-ray surface brightness, temperature, and Fe abundance profiles for a set of twelve galaxy clusters for which we have extensive optical photometry. Assuming a standard IMF and simple chemical evolution model scaled to match the present-day cluster early-type SN Ia rate, the stars in the brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) plus the intracluster stars (ICS) generate 31^{+11}_{-9}%, on average, of the observed ICM Fe within r_{500} (~ 0.6 times r_{200}, the virial …
Clumping of elementary dark matter in the Galaxy halo may be inevitable. If so, the nondetection of certain dark matter candidates could simply mean that the local halo density is low. Conversely, indirect detection of annihilation products could be facilitated, perhaps to an embarrassing degree.
We investigate models of self-consistent chemical enrichment of the intergalactic medium (IGM) from z=6 to 1.5, based on hydrodynamic simulations of structure formation that incorporate galactic outflows. Our main result is that outflow parameterizations based on momentum-driven winds as seen in local starburst galaxies provide the best agreement with observations of CIV absorption at z~2-5. Such models sufficiently enrich the high-z IGM to produce a global mass density of CIV absorbers that is relatively invariant from z=5.5 to 1.5, in agreement with observations. This occurs despite an incre…
This summary discusses new results on the stellar and gaseous luminous halo, and on the dark halo. It concludes with a look towards the future, with emphasis on the role of space astrometry missions.
The EROS and MACHO collaborations have each published upper limits on the amount of planetary mass dark matter in the Galactic Halo obtained from gravitational microlensing searches. In this paper the two limits are combined to give a much stronger constraint on the abundance of low mass MACHOs.
Based on a proper motion survey, Oppenheimer et al. claim the detection of a white dwarf component of the dark matter of the halo. I show that most of the white dwarfs in their sample are likely disk white dwarfs which have been previously detected, and represent no new population.
We critically examine a scenario for the enrichment of the interstellar medium (ISM) in which supernova ejecta follow a long (10^8 yr) journey before falling back onto the galactic disk in the form of metal-rich ``droplets'', These droplets do not become fully mixed with the interstellar medium until they become photoionized in HII regions. We investigate the hypothesis that the photoionization of these highly metallic droplets can explain the observed ``abundance discrepancy factors'' (ADFs), which are found when comparing abundances derived from recombination lines and from collisionally exc…
We perform three-dimensional smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulations in a realistic cosmological setting to investigate the expansion, feedback, and chemical enrichment properties of a 200 M_sun pair-instability supernova in the high-redshift universe. We find that the SN remnant propagates for a Hubble time at z = 20 to a final mass-weighted mean shock radius of 2.5 kpc (proper), roughly half the size of the HII region, and in this process sweeps up a total gas mass of 2.5*10^5 M_sun. The morphology of the shock becomes highly anisotropic once it leaves the host halo and encounters filame…
We propose the Galactic flare model for the origin of the X-ray gas in the Galactic halo. For this purpose, we examine the magnetic reconnection triggered by Parker instability (magnetic buoyancy instability), by performing the two-dimensional resistive numerical magnetohydrodynamic simulations. As a result of numerical simulations, the system evolves as following phases: Parker instability occurs in the Galactic disk. In the nonlinear phase of Parker instability, the magnetic loop inflates from the Galactic disk into the Galactic halo, and collides with the anti-parallel magnetic field, so th…
