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arXiv 0806.3460astro-ph
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星系生长和宇宙恒星形成历史中金属富集和金属冷却的影响

Effects of metal enrichment and metal cooling in galaxy growth and cosmic star formation history

Jun-Hwan Choi, Kentaro Nagamine

摘要:

利用宇宙学流体动力学模拟方法,对金属富集和金属冷却对星系形成和宇宙恒星形成(SF)历史的影响进行了数值研究。我们发现,在有金属冷却的模拟中,与无金属冷却的模拟相比,(1)宇宙星形成率(SFR)在z=1和3处分别提高了50%和20%,(2)星系中气体的质量分数降低了;(3)重子总质量函数(气体+恒星)在z=3时没有显著差异,但在z=1时相对大质量星系的数量有所增加;(4)星系际介质(IGM)的重子质量分数在z<3时由于更有效的冷却和气体吸积而降低。我们的研究结果表明,金属冷却通过两种不同的机制促进星系的生长:(1)提高局部星际介质(ISM)中的SF效率,(2)增加星系对IGM的吸积。前一个过程在宇宙历史的大部分时间里都是有效的,而后一个过程只在z<3时有效,此时IGM由于反馈而被金属充分富集。

英文摘要:

We present the results of a numerical study on the effects of metal enrichment and metal cooling on galaxy formation and cosmic star formation (SF) history using cosmological hydrodynamic simulations. We find following differences in the simulation with metal cooling when compared to the run without it: (1) the cosmic star formation rate (SFR) is enhanced by about 50 & 20% at z=1 & 3, respectively; (2) the gas mass fraction in galaxies is lower; (3) the total baryonic mass function (gas + star) at z=3 does not differ significantly, but shows an increase in the number of relatively massive galaxies at z=1; (4) the baryonic mass fraction of intergalactic medium (IGM) is reduced at z<3 due to more efficient cooling and gas accretion onto galaxies. Our results suggest that the metal cooling enhances the galaxy growth by two different mechanisms: (1) increase of SF efficiency in the local interstellar medium (ISM), and (2) increase of IGM accretion onto galaxies. The former process is effective throughout most of the cosmic history, while the latter is effective only at z<3 when the IGM is sufficiently enriched by metals owing to feedback.

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