Star formation and turbulent dissipation in models of disk galaxy evolution

Abstract

The kinetic energy dissipation rate in the turbulent ISM of disk galaxies is a key ingredient in galaxy evolution models since it determines the effectiveness of large-scale star formation (SF) feedback. Using magneto-hydro-dynamic simulations, we find that the ISM dissipates efficiently the turbulent kinetic energy injected by sources of stellar nature. Thus, the SF process may be self-regulated by an energy balance only at the level of the disk ISM. The use of the self-regulation SF mechanism in galaxy evolutionary models, where disks form inside growing Cold Dark Matter halos, allows to predict the SF history of disk galaxies, including the Milky Way and the solar neighborhood, as well as the contribution of the whole population of disk galaxies to the cosmic SF history. The results are encouraging.

5 pages, 2 figures. To appear in "Galaxy Evolution: Theory and Observations", eds. V. Avila-Reese, C. Firmani, C. Frenk, & C. Allen, RevMexA&A (SC), v. 17 Small changes in Fig. 2 and in subsection 3.2