Feedback, Disk Self-Regulation, and Galaxy Formation
Abstract
Self-regulation of star formation in disks is controlled by two dimensionless parameters: the Toomre parameter for gravitational instability and the porosity of the interstellar medium to supernova remnant-heated gas. An interplay between these leads to expressions for the gas velocity dispersion, gas fraction, star formation rate and star formation efficiency in disks and to a possible explanation of the Tully-Fisher relation. I further develop feedback arguments that arise from the impact of massive star formation and death on protogalaxies in order to account for the characteristic luminosity of a galaxy and for early winds from forming spheroids.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- May 1997
- DOI:
- 10.1086/304073
- arXiv:
- arXiv:astro-ph/9612117
- Bibcode:
- 1997ApJ...481..703S
- Keywords:
-
- Galaxies: Formation;
- Galaxies: ISM;
- Galaxies: Kinematics and Dynamics;
- Galaxies: Stellar Content;
- Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- 13 pages, Tex, ApJ accepted