FORMATION OF COMPACT STELLAR CLUSTERS BY HIGH-REDSHIFT GALAXY OUTFLOWS. I. NON-EQUILIBRIUM COOLANT FORMATION
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, P.O. Box 871404, Tempe, AZ 85287-1404 (United States)
We use high-resolution three-dimensional adaptive mesh refinement simulations to investigate the interaction of high-redshift galaxy outflows with low-mass virialized clouds of primordial composition. While atomic cooling allows star formation in objects with virial temperatures above 10{sup 4} K, 'minihalos' below this threshold are generally unable to form stars by themselves. However, these objects are highly susceptible to triggered star formation, induced by outflows from neighboring high-redshift starburst galaxies. Here, we conduct a study of these interactions, focusing on cooling through non-equilibrium molecular hydrogen (H{sub 2}) and hydrogen deuteride (HD) formation. Tracking the non-equilibrium chemistry and cooling of 14 species and including the presence of a dissociating background, we show that shock interactions can transform minihalos into extremely compact clusters of coeval stars. Furthermore, these clusters are all less than {approx}10{sup 6} M {sub sun}, and they are ejected from their parent dark matter halos: properties that are remarkably similar to those of the old population of globular clusters.
- OSTI ID:
- 21455146
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 718, Issue 1; Other Information: DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/718/1/417; ISSN 0004-637X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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