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arXiv 2410.09705astro-ph.GAastro-ph.COastro-ph.SR
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银河系最古老恒星盘的形成与存留

The formation and survival of the Milky Way's oldest stellar disk

Maosheng Xiang, Hans-Walter Rix, Hang Yang, Jifeng Liu, Yang Huang, Neige Frankel

AI总结:

本研究利用高α星探究银河系盘的年龄相关结构与恒星形成率,发现盘状几何结构在超过13 Gyr的古老星族中即存在,并将该最古老盘成分命名为PanGu,揭示银河系具有异常平静的动力学历史。

摘要:

我们的银河系何时首次形成恒星盘成分,并使其在随后的星系并合中存留且维持盘状结构,至今仍是一个谜。我们利用具有显著轨道角动量且年龄测定精确的高α星,对银河系盘的年龄相关结构和恒星形成率进行了研究。结果表明,径向标长几乎与年龄无关,而垂直标高则经历了剧烈演化。即使对于年龄超过 13 Gyr 的星族,盘状几何结构依然存在;对于年龄小于 12.5 Gyr 的星族,其标高与标长之比降至 0.5 以下。我们将这一维持了盘状几何结构的最古老星族命名为 PanGu,其显然形成于 13 Gyr 以前。据估计,PanGu 当前的恒星质量为 $2 \times 10^9$ $M_\odot$,被认为是银河系最早时期的主要恒星成分。整个高α盘当前的恒星总质量为 $2 \times 10^{10}$ $M_\odot$,其中大部分形成于约 11 Gyr 前、恒星形成率峰值为 11 $M_\odot$/年 的显著阶段。通过与 TNG50 模拟中的银河系类似星系进行对比,表明我们的银河系经历了一段异常平静的动力学历史,甚至在 Gaia-Enceladus 并合之前即是如此。

英文摘要:

It remains a mystery when our Milky Way first formed a stellar disk component that survived and maintained its disk structure from subsequent galaxy mergers. We present a study of the age-dependent structure and star formation rate of the Milky Way's disk using high-alpha stars with significant orbital angular momentum that have precise age determinations. Our results show that the radial scale length is nearly independent of age, while the vertical scale height experienced dramatic evolution. A disk-like geometry presents even for populations older than 13 Gyr, with the scale height-to-length ratio dropping below 0.5 for populations younger than 12.5 Gyr. We dub the oldest population that has maintained a disk geometry - apparently formed over 13 Gyr ago - PanGu. With an estimated present-day stellar mass of $2 \times 10^9$ $M_\odot$, PanGu is presumed to be a major stellar component of our Galaxy in the earliest epoch. The total present-day stellar mass of the whole high-alpha disk is $2 \times 10^{10}$ $M_\odot$, mostly formed during a distinct star formation rate peak of 11 $M_\odot$ per year around 11 Gyrs ago. A comparison with Milky Way analogs in the TNG50 simulations implies that our Galaxy has experienced an exceptionally quiescent dynamical history, even before the Gaia-Enceladus merger.

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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