Mass and metal ejection efficiency in disk galaxies driven by young stellar clusters of nuclear starburst

TL;DR

This study uses 3D simulations to analyze how nuclear starbursts in disk galaxies drive winds that eject mass and metals, affecting galaxy evolution and metal distribution.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive set of models showing how starburst energy influences galactic wind efficiency across various galaxy and starburst masses.

Findings

Central starbursts effectively eject mass and metals from galaxies.

Galactic winds depend on starburst and galaxy mass parameters.

Metal redistribution within galaxies is driven by starburst activity.

Abstract

We present results from models of galactic winds driven by energy injected by nuclear starbursts. The total energy of the starburst is provided by young central stellar clusters and parts of the galactic interstellar medium are pushed out as part of the galactic wind (in some cases the galactic wind contains an important part of the metals produced in the new generation of stars). We have performed adiabatic and radiative 3D N-Body/Smooth Particle Hydrodynamics simulations of galactic winds using the GADGET-2 code. The numerical models cover a wide range of starburst (from $\sim10^2$ to $\sim10^7$ M$_\odot$) and galactic gas masses (from $\sim6\times10^6$ to $\sim10^{11}$ M$_\odot$). The concentrated central starburst regions are an efficient engine for producing of the mass and metal loss in galaxies, and also for driving the metal redistribution in the galaxies.