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arXiv 0810.0348astro-ph
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银河系范围内激波的H2能量学:星爆触发和星系形成的见解

H2 Energetics in Galaxy-wide Shocks: Insights in Starburst Triggering and Galaxy Formation

P. Guillard, F. Boulanger

摘要:

斯皮策太空望远镜的观测结果令人惊讶地发现了一组不同的河外源,其红外光谱主要是由分子氢(H2)的线发射。恒星形成的典型迹象(如尘埃特征,电离气体线)的缺乏或相对薄弱表明存在大量的H2气体,没有(或很少)相关的恒星形成。我们使用Stephan的五重星系碰撞(SQ)定义一个物理框架来描述H2的形成和星系范围内的冲击排放。SQ观测表明,异常湍流的H2气体与热的X射线发射等离子体共存。激波的极端中红外H2辐射超过了X射线。这些观测结果为H2对星际介质冷却的贡献、分子气体与恒星形成的关系以及星系形成的能量学提供了新的视角。这些观测结果可以通过考虑激波在非均匀介质中运动来解释。他们认为,大部分的冲击能量被转移到散装动能的H2气体。激波后气体的湍流能量驱动不同气相的质量循环,其中H2由热/温气体形成。这种解释将H2发射置于更广泛的背景下,包括光学和X射线观测。我们建议,在云中的湍流是由一个缓慢的能量和动量转移的气体的体积运动,这种湍流能量的耗散反过来又是供电的H2排放。

英文摘要:

Spitzer space telescope observations led to the surprising detection of a diverse set of extragalactic sources whose infrared spectra are dominated by line emission of molecular hydrogen (H2). The absence or relative weakness of typical signs of star formation (like dust features, lines of ionized gas) suggest the presence of large quantities of H2 gas with no (or very little) associated star formation. We use the Stephan's Quintet (SQ) galaxy collision to define a physical framework to describe the H2 formation and emission in galaxy-wide shocks. SQ observations show that exceptionally turbulent H2 gas is coexisting with a hot, X-ray emitting plasma. The extreme mid-IR H2 emission from the shock exceeds that of the X-rays. These observations set a new light on the contribution of H2 to the cooling of the interstellar medium, on the relation between molecular gas and star formation, and on the energetics of galaxy formation. These observations can be interpreted by considering that the shock is moving through an inhomogeneous medium. They suggest that most of the shock energy is transferred to bulk kinetic energy of the H2 gas. The turbulent energy of the post-shock gas drives a mass cycle across the different gas phases where H2 is forming out of the hot/warm gas. This interpretation puts the H2 emission into a broader context including optical and X-ray observations. We propose that the turbulence in the clouds is powered by a slow energy and momentum transfer from the bulk motion of the gas and that the dissipation of this turbulent energy in turn is powering the H2 emission.

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