Gas Shepherding by an Infalling Satellite

TL;DR

This paper models how an infalling satellite galaxy can shepherd gas in a disk inward, potentially fueling active galactic nuclei and starbursts by concentrating gas at small radii.

Contribution

It introduces a dynamical model of gas shepherding by infalling satellites, highlighting its role in gas transport and star formation in galactic centers.

Findings

Gas shepherding enhances surface density at disk edges.

Massive, dense satellites can transport gas to within tens of parsecs.

Shepherding may trigger central starbursts and AGN fueling.

Abstract

I calculate the action of a satellite, infalling through dynamical friction, on a coplanar gaseous disk of finite radial extent. The disk tides, raised by the infalling satellite, couple the satellite and disk. Dynamical friction acting on the satellite then shrinks the radius of the coupled satellite-disk system. Thus, the gas is ``shepherded'' to smaller radii. In addition, gas shepherding produces a large surface density enhancement at the disk edge. If the disk edge then becomes gravitationally unstable and fragments, it may give rise to enhanced star formation. On the other hand, if the satellite is sufficiently massive and dense, the gas may be transported from $\sim 100$ pc to inside of a 10 to 10s of parsecs before completely fragmenting into stars. I argue that gas shepherding may drive the fueling of active galaxies and central starbursts and I compare this scenario to competing scenarios. I argue that sufficiently large and dense super star clusters (acting as the shepherding satellites) can shepherd a gas disk down to ten to tens of parsecs. Inside of ten to tens of parsecs, another mechanism may operate, i.e., cloud-cloud collisions or a marginally (gravitationally) stable disk, that drives the gas $\lesssim 1$ pc, where it can be viscously accreted, feeding a central engine.