The Positive Feedback of Pop III Objects on Galaxy Formation

Abstract

We study the formation of molecular hydrogen in cooling gas behind shocks produced during the blow-away process thought to occur in the first collapsed, luminous (Pop III) objects in the early universe. We find that for a wide range of physical parameters the $H_2$ fraction is $f \approx 6 \times 10^{-3}$. The $H_2$ mass produced in such explosions can exceed the amount of relic $H_2$ destroyed inside the photodissociation region surrounding a given Pop III. We conclude that these first objects, differently from the suggestion of Haiman et al 1997, might have a net positive feedback on subsequent galactic formation. We discuss the effects of radiation and the implications of our results for the soft-UV background.

16 pages, aasms4.sty, LaTeX, 2 figures. submitted to ApJ Letters