Starbursts triggered by inter-galactic tides and interstellar compressive turbulence
Astrophysics of Galaxies
2015-06-19 v1
Abstract
Using parsec-resolution simulations of a typical galaxy merger, we study the triggering of starbursts by connecting the (inter-)galactic dynamics to the structure of the interstellar medium. The gravitational encounter between two galaxies enhances tidal compression over large volumes, which increases and modifies the turbulence, in particular its compressive mode with respect to the solenoidal one. This generates an excess of dense gas leading to intense star formation activity. Along the interaction, the compressive turbulence modifies the efficiency of gas-to-star conversion which, in the Schmidt-Kennicutt diagram, drives the galaxies from the sequence of discs to that of starbursts.
Cite
@article{arxiv.1403.7316,
title = {Starbursts triggered by inter-galactic tides and interstellar compressive turbulence},
author = {Florent Renaud and Frédéric Bournaud and Katarina Kraljic and Pierre-Alain Duc},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1403.7316},
year = {2015}
}
Comments
Accepted for publication in MNRAS Letters