Related papers: Density structure of the interstellar medium and t…
We use vertically-resolved numerical hydrodynamic simulations to study star formation and the interstellar medium (ISM) in galactic disks. We focus on outer disk regions where diffuse HI dominates, with gas surface densities Sigma_SFR=3-20…
One of the most puzzling properties of observed galaxies is the universality of the empirical correlation between the star formation rate and average gas surface density on kiloparsec scales (the Schmidt law). In this study I present…
We calculated the radial profiles of the azimuthally averaged midplane gas volume density $\rho_g$ for 11 high surface brightness (HSB) spiral galaxies, 7 low surface brightness (LSB) galaxies and 3 S0 galaxies assuming their gaseous layers…
Stars form in supersonic turbulent molecular clouds that are self-gravitating. We present an analytic determination of the star formation rate (SFR) in a gravoturbulent medium based on the density probability distribution function of…
The measured star-formation rates (SFRs) of galaxies comprise an important constraint on galaxy evolution and also on their cosmological boundary conditions. Any available tracer of the SFR depends on the shape of the mass-distribution of…
We constrain the mass distribution in nearby, star-forming galaxies with the Star Formation Reference Survey (SFRS), a galaxy sample constructed to be representative of all known combinations of star formation rate (SFR), dust temperature,…
As a first step to a more complete understanding of the local physical processes which determine star formation rates (SFRs) in the interstellar medium (ISM), we have performed controlled numerical experiments consisting of hydrodynamical…
We develop a model for regulation of galactic star formation rates Sigma_SFR in disk galaxies, in which ISM heating by stellar UV plays a key role. By requiring simultaneous thermal and (vertical) dynamical equilibrium in the diffuse gas,…
The star formation rate density (SFRD) is an important tool in galaxy evolution that allows us to identify at which cosmic time galaxies are more efficient at forming stars. For low-mass star-forming galaxies, the SFRD as a function of…
The star formation rate (SFR) in galactic disks depends on both the quantity of available interstellar medium (ISM) gas and its physical state. Conversely, the ISM's physical state depends on the SFR, because the "feedback" energy and…
We conduct numerical experiments to determine the density probability distribution function (PDF) produced in supersonic, isothermal, self-gravitating turbulence of the sort that is ubiquitous in star-forming molecular clouds. Our…
Star formation depends on the available gaseous "fuel" as well as galactic environment, with higher specific star formation rates where gas is predominantly molecular and where stellar (and dark matter) densities are higher. The partition…
Star-forming galaxies (SFGs) display a continuous distribution of specific star formation rates (sSFR) which can be approximated by the superposition of two log-normal distributions. The 1st of these encompasses the main sequence (MS) of…
We develop a model for the distribution of the ISM and star formation in galaxies based on recent studies that indicate that galactic disks stabilise to a constant stability parameter, which we combine with prescriptions of how the phases…
The dispersion of the star-formation main sequence (SFMS) reflects the diversity of star formation histories and variation in star formation rates (SFRs) in star-forming galaxies (SFGs) with similar stellar masses ($M^\ast$). We examine the…
(ABRIDGED) We use hydrodynamical simulations of disk galaxies to study relations between star formation and properties of the molecular interstellar medium (ISM). We implement a model for the ISM that includes low-temperature (T<10^4K)…
The surface density of the star formation rate in different galaxies, as well as in different parts of a single galaxy, scales nonlinearly with the surface density of the total gas. This observationally established relation is known as the…
The formation of stars shapes the structure and evolution of entire galaxies. The rate and efficiency of this process are affected substantially by the density structure of the individual molecular clouds in which stars form. The most…
We examine the HI-based star formation efficiency (SFE_HI), the ratio of star formation rate to the atomic Hydrogen (HI) mass, in the context of a constant stability star-forming disk model. Our observations of HI-selected galaxies show SFE…
We study the global star formation law - the relation between the gas and star formation rate (SFR) in a sample of 130 local galaxies with infrared (IR) luminosities spanning over three orders of magnitude (10^9-10^12 Lsun), which includes…