Radiative shocks inside protogalaxies and the origin of globular clusters

Journal Article · Thu Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1990 · Astrophysical Journal; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/169360· OSTI ID:6061805

Kang, H; Shapiro, P R; Fall, S M; Rees, M J ^[1]

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1. Minnesota Univ., Minneapolis (USA) Texas Univ., Austin (USA) Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD (USA) Cambridge Univ. (England)

The thermal history of metal-free gas overtaken by radiative shocks with velocities characteristic of gravitationally induced motions inside a typical protogalaxy is studied. This is relevant to suggestions that globular clusters formed within protogalaxies in the compressed gas resulting from such shocks or from a thermal instability. Solutions are obtained for the hydrodynamical equations, along with the rate equations for nonequilibrium ionization, recombination, molecular formation and dissociation, and the equations of radiative transfer for steady-state shocks of velocity 300 km/s in a gas of preshock density 0.1-1/cu cm. It is suggested that the formation of globular clusters is a threshold effect, with the intensity of the UV/soft X-ray field in a protogalaxy as the controlling factor. 27 refs.

• OSTI ID: 6061805
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal; (USA), Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal; (USA) Vol. 363; ISSN ASJOA; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640102 -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Stars & Quasi-Stellar
Radio & X-Ray Sources
640105* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Galaxies
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ASTROPHYSICS
COSMIC GASES
COSMIC RAY SOURCES
COSMIC X-RAY SOURCES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
FLUID MECHANICS
FLUIDS
GALACTIC EVOLUTION
GALAXY NUCLEI
GASES
GRAVITATION
HYDRODYNAMICS
INSTABILITY
IONIZING RADIATIONS
MECHANICS
ORIGIN
RADIATIONS
SHOCK WAVES
SOFT X RADIATION
STAR CLUSTERS
STAR EVOLUTION
ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION
X RADIATION