Resolving the Formation of Protogalaxies. III.Feedback from the First Stars

Journal Article · Tue Oct 30 04:00:00 EDT 2007 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/520036· OSTI ID:918965

Wise, John H; Abel, Tom

The first stars form in dark matter halos of masses {approx}10{sup 6}M{sub {circle_dot}} as suggested by an increasing number of numerical simulations. Radiation feedback from these stars expels most of the gas from their shallow potential well of their surrounding dark matter halos. We use cosmological adaptive mesh refinement simulations that include self-consistent Population III star formation and feedback to examine the properties of assembling early dwarf galaxies. Accurate radiative transport is modeled with adaptive ray tracing. We include supernova explosions and follow the metal enrichment of the intergalactic medium. The calculations focus on the formation of several dwarf galaxies and their progenitors. In these halos, baryon fractions in 10{sup 8} M{sub {circle_dot}} halos decrease by a factor of 2 with stellar feedback and by a factor of 3 with supernova explosions. We find that radiation feedback and supernova explosions increase gaseous spin parameters up to a factor of 4 and vary with time. Stellar feedback, supernova explosions, and H{sub 2} cooling create a complex, multi-phase interstellar medium whose densities and temperatures can span up to 6 orders of magnitude at a given radius. The pair-instability supernovae of Population III stars alone enrich the halos with virial temperatures of 10{sup 4} K to approximately 10{sup -3} of solar metallicity. We find that 40% of the heavy elements resides in the intergalactic medium (IGM) at the end of our calculations. The highest metallicity gas exists in supernova remnants and very dilute regions of the IGM.

• Research Organization: Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76SF00515
• OSTI ID: 918965
• Report Number(s): SLAC-PUB-12923; arXiv:0710.3160
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal; ISSN ASJOAB; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
Astrophysics
ASTRO
BARYONS
EXPLOSIONS
FEEDBACK
GALAXIES
NONLUMINOUS MATTER
RADIATIONS
SPIN
STARS
SUPERNOVA REMNANTS
SUPERNOVAE
TRANSPORT