星系中分子气体和原子气体的研究进展

星际介质中的分子气体(主要是分子氢H2)和原子气体(主要是中性氢HI)成分是星系中重子物质的重要组成部分,它们对于星系中的各种物理过程至关重要。近年来随着观测技术的提高,分子气体和原子气体的观测结果越来越多,其中中性氢主要依靠21 cn氢原子射电辐射和DLA吸收体来观测,分子氢则通过一氧化碳作为示踪分子来探测。在这些观测结果基础上,理论工作者建立了一系列模型来解释和研究星际分子原子气体的转换,分子气体与恒星形成,分子气体和原子气体在星系形成和演化中所起的作用等,并为将来更进一步的观测提供了指导和预言。     

星系中分子气体与恒星形成的研究进展

星系中气体转化为恒星的过程决定了星系的结构和演化,因此研究恒星形成最直接的原料——分子气体的含量、分子气体形成恒星的规律以及会受哪些物理机制的影响,对于理解星系的形成和演化具有重要意义。近年来,随着观测技术和设备(尤其是射电望远镜)的发展,天文学家可以在不同尺度上探测到越来越多星系的多种分子多种能级跃迁的谱线。首先,介绍了探测分子气体的多种方法和新的发现;然后基于CO巡天数据和致密分子气体数据,分别在统计上讨论了分子气体分布及分子气体含量与恒星形成率之间的紧密关系,并与小尺度上的恒星形成理论进行了比较;最后,结合影响星系演化的物理过程,讨论活动星系核、星系形态以及星系所处环境对分子气体的影响。     

银盘径向丰度梯度及冷气体的演化

为了理解银盘的径向丰度梯度形成机制及冷气体演化,构建了银盘化学演化模型.模型中采用了与分子氢相关的恒星形成律,分开计算了分子氢和原子氢的质量面密度演化,并将模型预言和观测到的各物理量径向轮廓进行了比较.结果表明,模型预言对所采用的内落时标非常敏感,采用与分子氢相关的恒星形成律的模型能够较好地符合银盘基本的观测特征,尤其是能够自然地得到银盘的径向氧丰度梯度和冷气体的径向面密度轮廓.采用瞬时或非瞬时循环假设对冷气体的演化影响不大,在气体密度较低的情况下更是如此.     

星际气体之谜

星系中除了恒星,还有一个重要的组成部分就是恒星间的星际介质。星际介质又叫星际物质,包括气体、尘埃、磁场、宇宙线等。天文学家们最先关注的就是无处不在的星际气体。     

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。     

星系形成与演化半解析理论研究的新进展

发展了的星系形成和演化的半解析理论,可以很好地再现不同红移时宇宙恒星形成率密度（ＳＦＲ）和中性气体共动密度的最新观测结果。对该理论各个不确定性因素对结果的影响作了说尽的讨论,并指出在中等红移星系间的相互作用可能是主宰恒星形成的决定性因素,根据宇宙学模型对观测和半解析理论的影响,对宇宙学参数作出限制。     

观测结果对三成分多分量星系化学演化模型的约束

本文是在银河系化学演化的基础上，利用银河系的三成分(threezone)(即晕、厚盘和薄盘)多相(multi-phase)(气体，分子云，大、小质量恒星以及剩余物质)的化学演化的理论模型，讨论了以下观测约束：1、质量面密度、恒星形成率，各分区质量比；2、场星的年龄-金属丰度关系；3、α元素化学演化；4、太阳附近G矮星金属丰度分布；5、三成分金属丰度特征量；6、超新星爆发率；7、内落速率。结果表明，三成分多分量模型能够较好地满足观测约束，比较真实地反映星系演化过程。可以用该模型计算元素的星系化学演化。     

H_2的中红外波段研究进展

近年来红外望远镜的发展使得研究人员可以利用红外光谱数据探测到H_2的旋转谱线。这些谱线来源于"温"的分子气体。首先介绍关于H_2辐射的研究现状以及目前的研究热点,然后着重讨论在中红外波段观测到的H_2辐射与恒星形成以及与总分子气体质量之间的关系。对使用不同方法和不同数据的工作进行数据和方法的交叉检验后发现:在恒星形成星系中,H_2在中红外波段的辐射与恒星形成相关,而在活动星系核中是由激波激发,与恒星形成无关;另外,星系中的总分子气体质量可由H_2在中红外波段的辐射通过建模推出。从不同类型的星系推出的总分子气体质量与H_2辐射的相关性不明显,但总分子气体表面密度与H_2辐射有一定的相关性。从几个方面对这一结果进行解释。最后,对全文进行了总结并对未来的研究做出展望。     

带权重的相关函数在半解析模型和SDSS数据中的应用

基于半解析模型和SDSS DR4(Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 4),研究了环境对星系性质的影响.通过对以颜色、恒星形成率和恒星质量的带权重的相关函数的测量,发现半解析模型在颜色和恒星质量上与SDSS数据符合得比较好,而恒星形成率则在SDSS数据中表现为与环境无关.此结论证实了半解析模型对星系中部分性质与环境关系的预测,但对于恒星形成率为何与环境无关仍有待研究.     

富尘埃宽发射线类星体的CO发射

富尘埃宽发射线类星体在星系演化中十分关键,而星系中分子气体的信息有助于人们了解其恒星形成潜力等性质。使用IRAM-30m望远镜对红移0.5 ⊙·a^-1,气体耗竭时间为(20～300) Ma。将它们的红外光度与CO光度进行比较,发现该富尘埃宽发射线类星体样本的恒星形成效率相对其他亚毫米波星系及类星体无明显区别。在该样本中发现了活动星系核相对强度与气体耗竭时间的负相关关系,这与目前的类星体演化理论相符。     

Evolutionary synthesis models for galaxy transformation in clusters

The galaxy population in rich local galaxy clusters shows a ratio of one quarter elliptical galaxies, two quarters S0 galaxies, and one quarter spiral galaxies. Observations of clusters at redshift 0.5 show a perspicuously different ratio, the dominant galaxy type are spiral galaxies with a fraction of two quarters while the number of S0 galaxies decreases to a fraction of one quarter (Dressler et al. 1997). This shows an evolution of the galaxy population in clusters since redshift 0.5 and it has been suspected that galaxy transformation processes during the infall into a cluster are responsible for this change. These could be merging, starburst or ram-pressure stripping. We use our evolutionary synthesis models to describe various possible effects of those interactions on the star formation of spiral galaxies infalling into clusters. We study the effects of starbursts of various strengths as well as of the truncation of star formation at various epochs on the color and luminosity evolution of model galaxies of various spectral types. As a first application we present the comparison of our models with observed properties of the local S0 galaxy population to constrain possible S0 formation mechanisms in clusters. Application to other types of galaxies is planned for the future. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Star formation and chemical evolution of damped Lyman α systems

In this paper, we investigate the star formation and chemical evolution of damped Lyman α systems (DLAs) based on the disc galaxy formation model developed by Mo, Mao & White. We propose that the DLAs are the central galaxies of less-massive dark haloes present at redshifts z ∼3, and they should inhabit haloes of moderately low circular velocity. The empirical Schmidt law of star formation rates, and closed box model of chemical evolution that an approximation known as instantaneous recycling is assumed, are adopted. In our models, when the predicted distribution of metallicity for DLAs is calculated, two cases are considered. One is that, using the closed-box model, empirical Schmidt law and star formation time, the distribution of metallicity can be directly calculated. The other is that, when the simple gravitational instability of a thin isothermal gas disc as first discussed by Toomre is considered, the star formation occurs only in the region where the surface density of gas satisfies the critical value, not everywhere of a gas disc. In this case, we first obtain the region where the star formation can occur by assuming that the disc has a flat rotation curve and rotational velocity is equal to the circular velocity of the surrounding dark matter halo, and then calculate the metallicity distribution as in case one. We assume that star formation in each DLA lasts for a period of 1 Gyr from redshifts z =3. There is only one output parameter in our models, i.e. the stellar yield, which relates to the time of star formation history and is obtained by normalizing the predicted distribution of metallicity to the mean value of 1/13 Z_⊙ as presented by Pettini et al.. The predicted metallicity distribution is consistent with the current (rather limited) observational data. A random distribution of galactic discs is taken into account.     

Star Formation in the Outskirts of Disk Galaxies

The far outer regions of galactic disks allow an important probe of both star formation and galaxy formation. I discuss how observations of HII regions in these low gas density, low metallicity environments can shed light on the physical processes which drive galactic star formation. The history of past star formation at large radii, as traced by observations of old and intermediate-age stars, constrains the epoch at which the highest angular momentum regions of disks were in place; first results for the M31 disk suggest this occured a significant (≳ 8 Gyr) time ago. This revised version was published online in September 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Damped Lyman-α Systems

Damped Lyman-α systems observed in the spectra of high-redshift quasars are considered as the progenitors of present-day galaxies.Indeed, the large neutral hydrogen column densities observed and the presence of metals imply that the gas is somehow closely associated with regions of star formation. The nature of the absorbing object is unclear however.The discussion of whether high-redshift damped Lyman-α systems are produced throughlarge, fast-rotating, thick disks or through building-blocks of galaxies is important since it is related to how present-day galaxies form, either through initial formation of large disks and subsequent accretion of gas or as a result of merging of pregalactic clumps.We argue here that damped Lyman-α systems are progenitors of any kind of galaxy (dwarfs and large spirals); they trace peaks in the spatial density distribution of the gas. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Exploring the evolution of spiral galaxies

We have constructed a family of simple models for spiral galaxy evolution to allow us to investigate observational trends in star formation history with galaxy parameters. The models are used to generate broad-band colours from which ages and metallicities are derived in the same way as the data. We generate a grid of model galaxies and select only those that lie in regions of parameter space covered by the sample. The data are consistent with the proposition that the star formation history of a region within a galaxy depends primarily on the local surface density of the gas but that one or two additional ingredients are required to explain the observational data fully. The observed age gradients appear steeper than those produced by the density dependent star formation law, indicating that the star formation law or infall history must vary with galactocentric radius. Furthermore, the metallicity–magnitude and age–magnitude correlations are not reproduced by a local density dependence alone. These correlations require one or both of the following: (i) a combination of mass dependent infall and metal enriched outflow, or (ii) a mass dependent galaxy formation epoch. Distinguishing these possibilities on the basis of current data is extremely difficult.     

Star formation in galaxies along the Pisces-Cetus Supercluster filaments

We investigate the variation of current star formation in galaxies as a function of distance along three supercluster filaments, each joining pairs of rich clusters, in the Pisces-Cetus supercluster, which is part of the two-degree Field Galaxy Redshift Survey (2dFGRS). We find that even though there is a steady decline in the rate of star formation, as well as in the fraction of star-forming galaxies, as one approaches the core of a cluster at an extremity of such a filament, there is an increased activity of star formation in a narrow distance range between 3 and  4  h ⁻¹₇₀ Mpc  , which is 1.5–2 times the virial radius of the clusters involved. This peak in star formation is seen to be entirely due to the dwarf galaxies  (−20 < M _B ≤−17.5)  . The position of the peak does not seem to depend on the velocity dispersion of the nearest cluster, undermining the importance of the gravitational effect of the clusters involved. We find that this enhancement in star formation occurs at the same place for galaxies which belong to groups within these filaments, while group members elsewhere in the 2dFGRS do not show this effect. We conclude that the most likely mechanism for this enhanced star formation is galaxy–galaxy harassment, in the crowded infalling region of rich clusters at the extremities of filaments, which induces a burst of star formation in galaxies, before they have been stripped of their gas in the denser cores of clusters. The effects of strangulation in the cores of clusters, as well as excess star formation in the infalling regions along the filaments, are more pronounced in dwarfs since they more vulnerable to the effects of strangulation and harassment than giant galaxies.     

A grid of chemical evolution models as a tool to interpret spiral and irregular galaxies data

We present a generalization of the multiphase chemical evolution model (CEM) applied to a wide set of theoretical galaxies with different masses and evolutionary rates. This generalized set of models has been computed using the so-called universal rotation curve from Persic, Salucci & Steel to calculate the radial mass distribution of 44 theoretical protogalaxies. This distribution is a fundamental input which, besides its own effect on the galaxy evolution, defines the characteristic collapse time-scale or gas infall rate on to the disc. We have adopted 10 sets of values, between 0 and 1, for the molecular cloud and star formation efficiencies, as corresponding to their probability nature, for each one of the radial distributions of total mass. Thus, we have constructed a biparametric grid of models, depending on those efficiency sets and on the rotation velocity, whose results are valid in principle for any spiral or irregular galaxy. The model results provide the time-evolution of different regions of the disc and the halo along galactocentric distance, measured by the gas (atomic and molecular) and stellar masses, the star formation rate (SFR) and chemical abundances of 14 elements, for a total of 440 models. This grid may be used to estimate the evolution of a given galaxy for which only present time information, such as radial distributions of elemental abundances, gas densities and/or star formation, which are the usual observational constraints of chemical evolution models (CEMs), is available.     

The stellar populations of spiral galaxies

We have used a large sample of low-inclination spiral galaxies with radially resolved optical and near-infrared photometry to investigate trends in star formation history with radius as a function of galaxy structural parameters. A maximum-likelihood method was used to match all the available photometry of our sample to the colours predicted by stellar population synthesis models. The use of simplistic star formation histories, uncertainties in the stellar population models and considering the importance of dust all compromise the absolute ages and metallicities derived in this work; however, our conclusions are robust in a relative sense. We find that most spiral galaxies have stellar population gradients, in the sense that their inner regions are older and more metal rich than their outer regions. Our main conclusion is that the surface density of a galaxy drives its star formation history, perhaps through a local density dependence in the star formation law. The mass of a galaxy is a less important parameter; the age of a galaxy is relatively unaffected by its mass; however, the metallicity of galaxies depends on both surface density and mass. This suggests that galaxy‐mass-dependent feedback is an important process in the chemical evolution of galaxies. In addition, there is significant cosmic scatter suggesting that mass and density may not be the only parameters affecting the star formation history of a galaxy.     

H i and CO observations of Arp 104: a spiral–elliptical interacting pair

We present data probing the spatial and kinematical distribution of both the atomic (H  i ) and molecular (CO) gas in NGC 5218, the late-type barred spiral galaxy in the spiral–elliptical interacting pair, Arp 104. We consider these data in conjunction with far-infrared and radio-continuum data, and N -body simulations, to study the galaxies interactions, and the star formation properties of NGC 5218. We use these data to assess the importance of the bar and tidal interaction on the evolution of NGC 5218, and the extent to which the tidal interaction may have been important in triggering the bar. The molecular gas distribution of NGC 5218 appears to have been strongly affected by the bar; the distribution is centrally condensed with a very large surface density in the central region. The N -body simulations indicate a time-scale since perigalacticon of  ∼3 × 10⁸ yr  , which is consistent with the interaction having triggered or enhanced the bar potential in NGC 5218, leading to inflow and the large central molecular gas density observed. Whilst NGC 5218 appears to be undergoing active star formation, its star formation efficiency is comparable to a 'normal' SBb galaxy. We propose that this system may be on the brink of a more active phase of star formation.