684 research outputs found
Two-Dimensional Hydrodynamic Models of Super Star Clusters with a Positive Star Formation Feedback
Using the hydrodynamic code ZEUS, we perform 2D simulations to determine the
fate of the gas ejected by massive stars within super star clusters. It turns
out that the outcome depends mainly on the mass and radius of the cluster. In
the case of less massive clusters, a hot high velocity ( km
s) stationary wind develops and the metals injected by supernovae are
dispersed to large distances from the cluster. On the other hand, the density
of the thermalized ejecta within massive and compact clusters is sufficiently
large as to immediately provoke the onset of thermal instabilities. These
deplete, particularly in the central densest regions, the pressure and the
pressure gradient required to establish a stationary wind, and instead the
thermally unstable parcels of gas are rapidly compressed, by a plethora of
re-pressurizing shocks, into compact high density condensations. Most of these
are unable to leave the cluster volume and thus accumulate to eventually feed
further generations of star formation.
The simulations cover an important fraction of the parameter-space, which
allows us to estimate the fraction of the reinserted gas which accumulates
within the cluster and the fraction that leaves the cluster as a function of
the cluster mechanical luminosity, the cluster size and heating efficiency.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ; 27 pages, 9 figures, 1 tabl
Super stellar clusters with a bimodal hydrodynamic solution: an Approximate Analytic Approach
We look for a simple analytic model to distinguish between stellar clusters
undergoing a bimodal hydrodynamic solution from those able to drive only a
stationary wind. Clusters in the bimodal regime undergo strong radiative
cooling within their densest inner regions, which results in the accumulation
of the matter injected by supernovae and stellar winds and eventually in the
formation of further stellar generations, while their outer regions sustain a
stationary wind. The analytic formulae are derived from the basic hydrodynamic
equations. Our main assumption, that the density at the star cluster surface
scales almost linearly with that at the stagnation radius, is based on results
from semi-analytic and full numerical calculations. The analytic formulation
allows for the determination of the threshold mechanical luminosity that
separates clusters evolving in either of the two solutions. It is possible to
fix the stagnation radius by simple analytic expressions and thus to determine
the fractions of the deposited matter that clusters evolving in the bimodal
regime blow out as a wind or recycle into further stellar generations.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, accepted by A&
Model-independent view on the low-mass proton-antiproton enhancement
We present a simple interpretation of the recently observed near-threshold
proton-antiproton enhancement. It is described by a set of low-energy
parameters deduced from the analysis of NantiN experiments at LEAR. We predict
a related effect in photoproduction reaction under study by CLAS collaboration.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figure
The LBT Panoramic View on the Recent Star-Formation Activity in IC2574
We present deep imaging of the star-forming dwarf galaxy IC2574 in the M81
group taken with the Large Binocular Telescope in order to study in detail the
recent star-formation history of this galaxy and to constrain the stellar
feedback on its HI gas. We identify the star-forming areas in the galaxy by
removing a smooth disk component from the optical images. We construct
pixel-by-pixel maps of stellar age and stellar mass surface density in these
regions by comparing their observed colors with simple stellar populations
synthesized with STARBURST99. We find that an older burst occurred about 100
Myr ago within the inner 4 kpc and that a younger burst happened in the last 10
Myr mostly at galactocentric radii between 4 and 8 kpc. We analyze the stellar
populations residing in the known HI holes of IC2574. Our results indicate
that, even at the remarkable photometric depth of the LBT data, there is no
clear one-to-one association between the observed HI holes and the most recent
bursts of star formation in IC2574. The stellar populations formed during the
younger burst are usually located at the periphery of the HI holes and are seen
to be younger than the holes dynamical age. The kinetic energy of the holes
expansion is found to be on average 10% of the total stellar energy released by
the stellar winds and supernova explosions of the young stellar populations
within the holes. With the help of control apertures distributed across the
galaxy we estimate that the kinetic energy stored in the HI gas in the form of
its local velocity dispersion is about 35% of the total stellar energy.Comment: 16 pages, 14 figures, accepted for publication in Ap
Self-enrichment in globular clusters. I. An analytic approach
By means of analytical calculations, we explore the self-enrichment scenario
for Globular Cluster formation. According to this scenario, an initial burst of
star formation occurs inside the core radius of the initial gaseous
distribution. The outward-propagating shock wave sweeps up a shell in which
gravitational instabilities may arise, leading to the formation of a second,
metal-enriched, population of stars. We find a minimum mass of the
proto-globular cluster of the order of 10^6 solar masses. We also find that the
observed spread in the Magnitude-Metallicity relation can be explained assuming
cluster-to-cluster variations of some parameters like the thermalization
efficiency, the mixing efficiency and the Initial Mass Function, as well as
variations of the external pressure.Comment: 12 pages, 13 figures, accepted for publication in A&
The N/O Plateau of Blue Compact Galaxies: Monte Carlo Simulations of the Observed Scatter
Chemical evolution models and Monte Carlo simulation techniques have been
combined for the first time to study the distribution of blue compact galaxies
on the N/O plateau. Each simulation comprises 70 individual chemical evolution
models. For each model, input parameters relating to a galaxy's star formation
history (bursting or continuous star formation, star formation efficiency),
galaxy age, and outflow rate are chosen randomly from ranges predetermined to
be relevant. Predicted abundance ratios from each simulation are collectively
overplotted onto the data to test its viability. We present our results both
with and without observational scatter applied to the model points. Our study
shows that most trial combinations of input parameters, including a simulation
comprising only simple models with instantaneous recycling, are successful in
reproducing the observed morphology of the N/O plateau once observational
scatter is added. Therefore simulations which include delay of nitrogen
injection are no longer favored over those which propose that most nitrogen is
produced by massive stars, if only the plateau morphology is used as the
principal constraint. The one scenario which clearly cannot explain plateau
morphology is one in which galaxy ages are allowed to range below 250 Myr. We
conclude that the present data for the N/O plateau are insufficient by
themselves for identifying the portion of the stellar mass spectrum most
responsible for cosmic nitrogen production.Comment: 41 pages, 15 figures; accepted by ApJ, to appear Aug. 20, 200
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