Ingredients and Recipes for Model Galaxy Formation

We present the basic ingredients and recipes used in an analytical model of galaxy formation to follow the evolution of the baryons inside dark matter haloes whose clustering is described elsewhere. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

星系形成的半解析模型研究进展

基于目前流行的冷暗物质等级成团理论的星系形成的半解析模型取得了很大进展．在引入一系列合理的关于重子物质物理过程的假设，如气体冷却、恒星形成率、超新星能量反馈以后，结合N体数值模拟，星系形成的半解析模型一方面能较成功地预言许多与观测符合的近邻星系的性质，如光度函数、星系的两点相关函数、Thlly-Fisher关系、星系团中椭圆星系的颜色一星等关系等；另一方面还能较成功地预言宇宙的恒星形成历史，以及一部分高红移星系的性质，如Lyman-Break星系的数目随红移的分布．但是最近一些观测表明，半解析模型在高红移预言的大质量星系较少，且红星系数目也较观测少．重点讨论半解析模型成功与不足之处，并指出解决这些问题可能的途径。     

On-Going Galaxy Formation

We investigate the process of galaxy formation as can be observed in the only currently forming galaxies - the so-called Tidal Dwarf Galaxies, hereafter TDGs - through observations of the molecular gas detected via its CO (Carbon Monoxide) emission. These objects are formed of material torn off of the outer parts of a spiral disk due to tidal forces in a collision between two massive galaxies. Molecular gas is a key element in the galaxy formation process, providing the link between a cloud of gas and a bona fide galaxy. We have detected CO in 8 TDGs (Braine, Lisenfeld, Duc and Leon, 2000: Nature 403, 867; Braine, Duc, Lisenfeld, Charmandaris, Vallejo, Leon and Brinks: 2001, A&A 378, 51), with an overall detection rate of 80%, showing that molecular gas is abundant in TDGs, up to a few 10⁸ M _⊙. The CO emission coincides both spatially and kinematically with the HI emission, indicating that the molecular gas forms from the atomic hydrogen where the HI column density is high. A possible trend of more evolved TDGs having greater molecular gas masses is observed, in accord with the transformation of HI into H₂. Although TDGs share many of the properties of small irregulars, their CO luminosity is much greater (factor ∼ 100) than that of standard dwarf galaxies of comparable luminosity. This is most likely a consequence of the higher metallicity (≳sim 1/3 solar) of TDGs which makes CO a good tracer of molecular gas. This allows us to study star formation in environments ordinarily inaccessible due to the extreme difficulty of measuring the molecular gas mass. The star formation efficiency, measured by the CO luminosity per Hα flux, is the same in TDGs and full-sized spirals. CO is likely the best tracer of the dynamics of these objects because some fraction of the HI near the TDGs may be part of the tidal tail and not bound to the TDG. Although uncertainties are large for individual objects, as the geometry is unknown, our sample is now of eight detected objects and we find that the ‘dynamical’ masses of TDGs, estimated from the CO line widths, seem not to be greater than the ‘visible’ masses (HI + H₂ + a stellar component). Although higher spatial resolution CO (and HI) observations would help reduce the uncertainties, we find that TDGs require no dark matter, which would make them the only galaxy-sized systems where this is the case. Dark matter in spirals should then be in a halo and not a rotating disk. Most dwarf galaxies are dark matter-rich, implying that they are not of tidal origin. We provide strong evidence that TDGs are self-gravitating entities, implying that we are witnessing the ensemble of processes in galaxy formation: concentration of large amounts of gas in a bound object, condensation of the gas, which is atomic at this point, to form molecular gas and the subsequent star formation from the dense molecular component. This revised version was published online in September 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

星系形成的超大型计算机模拟

扼要地就数值模拟在星系形成研究中的作用，数值模拟与解析模型之间的关系，数值模拟的局限性等几方面的问题作了综述，然后介绍了马普小组与日本东京大学最近的合作情况，包括合作得到的模拟样本，研究成晨和正在开展的工作。     

The Epochs of Early-Type Galaxy Formation

By means of population synthesis models with variable α/Fe ratios we derive average ages, metallicities, and [α/Fe] element enhancements for a sample of 126 field and cluster early-type galaxies. We find a clear positive relation between [α/Fe] and velocity dispersion. Zero-point, slope, and scatter of this correlation are the same for cluster and field galaxies. In particular, the [α/Fe] ratios and mean ages of cluster ellipticals are positively correlated. This strongly reinforces the view that the [α/Fe] element enhancement in ellipticals is produced by star formation timescales rather than by variations of the initial mass function. These results indicate that the more massive the galaxy, the shorter is its star formation timescale, and the higher is the redshift of the bulk of star formation. This finding is not compatible with the predictions from models of hierarchical galaxy formation. The lenticular and field galaxies of the investigated sample do not follow the correlation between age and [α/Fe], but contain a non-negligible fraction of galaxies with young average ages and high [α/Fe] ratios. This revised version was published online in September 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Primordial Galaxy Formation and IGM Reionization

In this talk I will present a model for primordial galaxy formation. In particular, I will review the feedback effects that regulate the process: (i) radiative (i.e. ionizing and H₂-photodissociating photons) and (ii) stellar (i.e. SN explosions) feedback produced by massive stars. I will also address how the IGM reionization can be influenced by this population of primordial galaxies and describe a Monte Carlo method for the radiative transfer of ionizing photons through the IGM. This revised version was published online in September 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Observational Tests of the Galaxy Formation Process

The mutual feedback between star formation and nuclear activity in large spheroidal galaxies may be a key ingredient to overcome several difficulties plaguing current semi-analytic models for galaxy formation. We discuss some observational implications of the model by Granato et al. for the co-evolution of galaxies and active nuclei at their centers and stress the potential of the forthcoming surveys of the Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect on arcminute scales, down to μK levels, to investigate the early galaxy-formation phases, difficult to access by other means.     

星系形成环境与宇宙中的空洞

本文讨论了初始扰动谱中大尺度负密度扰动对星系尺度扰动峰值的局域密度的影响，以及空洞演化中边界壳层非线性发展的作用。结果表明它们并不能解释空洞的形成。但考虑星系相互作用在可见星系形成中的关键作用，把星系群与星系团的存在作为形成的必要条件时，可以用负密度扰动对星系团和星系群的局域密度的调制，解释３０─６０Ｍｐｃ的空洞形成。对于更大尺度空洞的形成，则必须考虑对标准冷暗物质模型谱作出修正。     

Stellar and HI Mass Functions Predicted by a Simple Preheating Galaxy Formation Model

According to the new preheating mechanism of galaxy formation suggested by Mo et al., we construct a simple model of formation of disk galaxies within the current paradigm of galaxy formation. It incorporates preheating, gas cooling, bulge formation and star for-mation. The predicted stellar and HI mass functions of galaxies are discussed and compared with the observations. It is found that our model can roughly match both the observed galaxy luminosity function and the observed HI-mass function.     

椭圆星系的模拟试验

本文用树形法,模拟试验由一种星系相互作用模式产生椭圆星系的可能性．并用惯量张量分析方法和曲线拟合对椭球体进行结构分析,得到椭球体的半长轴相对长度．     

Chemodynamical Modelling of Galaxy Formation and Evolution

We present our recently developed 3-dimensional chemodynamical code for galaxy evolution. This code follows the evolution of different galactic components like stars, dark matter and different components of the interstellar medium (ISM), i.e. a diffuse gaseous phase and the molecular clouds. Stars and dark matter are treated as collisionless N-body systems. The ISM is numerically described by a smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) approach for the diffuse gas and a sticky particle scheme for the molecular clouds. Additionally, the galactic components are coupled by several phase transitions like star formation, stellar death or condensation and evaporation processes within the ISM. As an example we show the dynamical and chemical evolution of a star forming dwarf galaxy with a total baryonic mass of 2 ċ 10⁹ M_⊙. After a moderate collapse phase the stars and the molecular clouds follow an exponential radial distribution, whereas the diffuse gas shows a central depression as a result of stellar feedback. The metallicities of the galactic components behave quite differently with respect to their temporal evolution as well as their radial distribution. Especially, the ISM is at no stage well mixed. This revised version was published online in September 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

A new Picture for the Galaxy Formation

The observational constraints are of fundamental importance to build a realistic chemical evolution model. With respect to these constraints the last years have been of crucial importance and, in the case of the Milky Way, the new observational data required a revision of the previous chemical evolution models (see Chiappini et al., 1997 – CMG97) and Pagel and Tautvaisiene, 1995 – PT95). The results obtained by CMG97 from a careful comparison between model predictions and observational constraints strongly suggest that the previously adopted picture for the Galaxy formation in which the gas shed from the halo was the main contributor to the thin disk formation, is not valid anymore. With our detailed chemical evolution model we are able to put some constraints on the IMF variation and on the Deuterium primordial value. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Star Formation Histories From Faint Galaxy Counts

Multispectral faint galaxy counts, including the deepest Hubble DeepField, are interpreted with the help of our evolution model PEGASE(Fioc and Rocca-Volmerange, 1997). The best fits correspond to galaxyformations at high redshifts, a pure luminosity evolution andclassical luminosity functions. The adopted cosmology is a flatuniverse with the matter density parameter Ω_M =0.3 and acosmological constant Ω_Λ =0.7. A solution with Ω_M=0.01 (open universe) is also acceptable. But a flat universe withΩ_M =1 is clearly excluded. The star formation histories for galaxytypes are derived from scenarios of evolution. The comparison with resultsalready published in the litterature, arises puzzling problems needinga further analysis of star formation tracers, specifically for bright galaxies. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Galaxy Disk Formation in Hierarchical Hydrodynamical Simulations

We report some results on galaxy disk formation in hierarchical hydrodynamical simulations with characteristics compatible with observed spirals. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Galaxy Evolution: An Overview

We review recent ideas on the evolution of galaxies. Two models are competing to explain the observational features: the monolithic model in which galaxies assemble at high redshift, and evolve with little influence from the environment, and the hierarchical model in which small galaxies progressively assemble to form bigger objects. We describe the basic features of the model of hierarchical formation, and we try to valuate how the observations in the optical and infrared/submillimetre fit in the scenario. Finally, we show a few results from a hybrid, N-body simulation + semi-analytic model of hierarchical formation that produces detailed quantitative predictions to be compared to the data. This revised version was published online in September 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

盘状星系形成中的角动量问题

目前的星系形成理论认为，盘状星系由暗晕中的重子物质冷却并坍缩而成。在这一演化图像中，重子物质的角动量及其分布起着关键作用，它直接决定了盘状星系的结构。然而，在盘状星系形成和演化的各种解析、半解析模型及数值模拟中，出现了一系列与角动量有关的问题。其中包括角动量灾变(angular momentum catastrophe)及角动量分布不匹配(mismatch of angulamomentum profile)等。近年来，为解决此类问题，人们进行了大量的研究，引入并建立了各种机制和模型。详细表述了星系形成与演化中两类主要的角动量问题，并系统地综述了目前针对此类问题所提出的各种可能的解决方法和途径。     

Star Formation Properties of the Galaxy Cluster Abell 2199

Through the morphological classifications for 290 member galaxies in the nearby galaxy Abell 2199, the star formation rates and their relations with their morphology and related physical properties are investigated in this paper. It is found that the typical star formation rate in galaxies of this galaxy cluster is strongly correlated with the H_α equivalent width, and the degree of discontinuity of the galaxy spectrum at 4000 Å is also strongly correlated with the stellar mass included in the galaxy. It is also found that star formation activities in these galaxies do not exhibit the obvious circumstance effect. This result indicates that this galaxy cluster is still situated at the stage of the violent dynamical evolution and far from the dynamical equilibrium.