Galactic star formation in parsec-scale resolution simulations

TL;DR

This paper explores how high-resolution simulations at parsec scales improve the modeling of the multiphase interstellar medium and star formation processes in galaxies, capturing the formation of giant molecular clouds more accurately.

Contribution

It demonstrates the impact of parsec-scale resolution on simulating star formation and the multiphase ISM in galaxy evolution, addressing limitations of previous lower-resolution models.

Findings

High-resolution simulations reveal detailed GMC formation.

Star formation is driven by mergers and cold gas accretion.

More realistic gas distributions compared to lower-resolution models.

Abstract

The interstellar medium (ISM) in galaxies is multiphase and cloudy, with stars forming in the very dense, cold gas found in Giant Molecular Clouds (GMCs). Simulating the evolution of an entire galaxy, however, is a computational problem which covers many orders of magnitude, so many simulations cannot reach densities high enough or temperatures low enough to resolve this multiphase nature. Therefore, the formation of GMCs is not captured and the resulting gas distribution is smooth, contrary to observations. We investigate how star formation (SF) proceeds in simulated galaxies when we obtain parsec-scale resolution and more successfully capture the multiphase ISM. Both major mergers and the accretion of cold gas via filaments are dominant contributors to a galaxy's total stellar budget and we examine SF at high resolution in both of these contexts.