Cooling Flows in Galaxies
Abstract
Early-type galaxies contain hot X-ray emitting gas which is cooling at rates of between a few hundredths and a few solar masses per year. To bind the hot gas to the galaxy the gravitational potential must contain a massive halo component. The dynamical cooling flow equations are discussed in some detail. By considering the energy balance within the flow it can be shown that: (1) either the usual estimates of the stellar mass loss and supernova rates are too high, or the corresponding mass and energy does not get deposited into the hot gas, and (2) mass deposition occurs throughout the galaxy implying a range of densities at each radius. The cooled gas is not stored in reservoirs of low-temperature gas and does not form stars with a normal initial-mass-function. The interstellar medium in early-type galaxies is complex.
- Publication:
-
Cooling Flows in Clusters and Galaxies
- Pub Date:
- 1988
- DOI:
- 10.1007/978-94-009-2953-1_28
- Bibcode:
- 1988ASIC..229..235T
- Keywords:
-
- Astronomical Spectroscopy;
- Cooling Flows (Astrophysics);
- Galaxies;
- Galactic Bulge;
- Gas Dynamics;
- Gravitational Effects;
- Heao 2;
- High Temperature Gases;
- X Rays;
- Astrophysics