Evolution of gaseous disk viscosity driven by supernova explosion in star-forming galaxies at high redshift

TL;DR

This paper models the evolution of gaseous disks in high-redshift star-forming galaxies, emphasizing supernova-driven turbulence and viscosity effects, and applies the model to observed galaxies to interpret their star formation decline.

Contribution

It introduces an analytical framework for gaseous disk evolution incorporating supernova-induced viscosity and applies it to high-redshift galaxies, linking viscosity dynamics to star formation activity.

Findings

High viscosity leads to rapid gas diffusion and disk formation.

Low viscosity results in slow gaseous diffusion and star formation.

Model explains observed star formation decline in specific high-redshift galaxies.

Abstract

Motivated by Genzel et al.'s observations of high-redshift star-forming galaxies, containing clumpy and turbulent rings or disks, we build a set of equations describing the dynamical evolution of gaseous disks with inclusion of star formation and its feedback. Transport of angular momentum is due to "turbulent" viscosity induced by supernova explosions in the star formation region. Analytical solutions of the equations are found for the initial cases of a gaseous ring and the integrated form for a gaseous disk, respectively. For a ring with enough low viscosity, it evolves in a slow processes of gaseous diffusion and star formation near the initial radius. For a high viscosity, the ring rapidly diffuses in the early phase. The diffusion drives the ring into a region with a low viscosity and start the second phase undergoing pile-up of gas at a radius following the decreased viscosity torque. The third is a sharply deceasing phase because of star formation consumption of gas and efficient transportation of gas inward forming a stellar disk. We apply the model to two $z\sim 2$ galaxies BX 482 and BzK 6004, and find that they are undergoing a decline in their star formation activity.