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arXiv 1011.0955astro-ph.CO
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辐射压作为恒星形成星系反馈机制的估算

Assessing Radiation Pressure as a Feedback Mechanism in Star-Forming Galaxies

Brett H. Andrews, Todd A. Thompson

摘要:

尘埃颗粒对星光的吸收和散射产生的辐射压可能是调节恒星形成星系的重要反馈机制。我们编译的数据从文献上的星团,恒星形成的子区域,正常的恒星形成的星系,和星爆的重要性评估辐射压力的尘埃作为一种反馈机制,通过比较这些系统的光度和通量的尘埃爱丁顿限制。这项工作激发了施密特定律,LIR-L 'CO相关性,和LIR-L' HCN相关性的新的解释。特别是,线性LIR-L 'HCN相关性是辐射压力调节恒星形成的自然预测。总的来说,我们发现爱丁顿极限为任何恒星形成区域的光度设定了一个严格的上限。然而,重要的是,许多正常的恒星形成星系的光度明显低于爱丁顿极限。我们探讨了这种差异的几种解释,特别是在正常的螺旋的作用,“不稳定性”的倾向,只有一个小数目的子区域内的星系积极形成恒星在任何时候,因为时间依赖性的反馈过程和光度演化的恒星星族。如果辐射压力调节恒星在致密气体中的形成,那么气体耗尽的时间尺度是600万年,与致密恒星爆发的观测结果非常一致。最后,我们强调观测不确定性的重要性-即,尘埃-气体比和CO-H2和HCN-H2转换因子-在确定性评估辐射压力作为恒星形成星系的反馈机制之前必须了解。

英文摘要:

Radiation pressure from the absorption and scattering of starlight by dust grains may be an important feedback mechanism in regulating star-forming galaxies. We compile data from the literature on star clusters, star-forming subregions, normal star-forming galaxies, and starbursts to assess the importance of radiation pressure on dust as a feedback mechanism, by comparing the luminosity and flux of these systems to their dust Eddington limit. This exercise motivates a novel interpretation of the Schmidt Law, the LIR-L'CO correlation, and the LIR-L'HCN correlation. In particular, the linear LIR-L'HCN correlation is a natural prediction of radiation pressure regulated star formation. Overall, we find that the Eddington limit sets a hard upper bound to the luminosity of any star-forming region. Importantly, however, many normal star-forming galaxies have luminosities significantly below the Eddington limit. We explore several explanations for this discrepancy, especially the role of "intermittency" in normal spirals - the tendency for only a small number of subregions within a galaxy to be actively forming stars at any moment because of the time-dependence of the feedback process and the luminosity evolution of the stellar population. If radiation pressure regulates star formation in dense gas, then the gas depletion timescale is 6 Myr, in good agreement with observations of the densest starbursts. Finally, we highlight the importance of observational uncertainties - namely, the dust-to-gas ratio and the CO-H2 and HCN-H2 conversion factors - that must be understood before a definitive assessment of radiation pressure as a feedback mechanism in star-forming galaxies.

机构、总结、中文摘要均由AI分析而来,可能存在错误,请以论文正文为准。

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