Feedback Regulated Turbulence, Magnetic Fields, and Star Formation Rates in Galactic Disks

TL;DR

This study uses 3D MHD simulations to explore how star formation feedback, turbulence, and magnetic fields regulate the equilibrium and star formation rates in galactic disks, revealing magnetic fields' role in reducing SFR.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed simulation framework incorporating star formation feedback and magnetic fields to quantify their effects on galactic disk equilibrium and star formation regulation.

Findings

Feedback yields for thermal and turbulent pressures are consistent across HD and MHD simulations.

Magnetic fields rapidly saturate and enhance total feedback yield, reducing the star formation rate.

Galactic disks quickly reach a quasi-steady state with vertical dynamical equilibrium.

Abstract

We use three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations to investigate the quasi-equilibrium states of galactic disks regulated by star formation feedback. We incorporate effects from massive-star feedback via time-varying heating rates and supernova (SN) explosions. We find that the disks in our simulations rapidly approach a quasi-steady state that satisfies vertical dynamical equilibrium. The star formation rate (SFR) surface density self-adjusts to provide the total momentum flux (pressure) in the vertical direction that matches the weight of the gas. We quantify feedback efficiency by measuring feedback yields, \eta_c\equiv P_c/\Sigma_SFR (in suitable units), for each pressure component. The turbulent and thermal feedback yields are the same for HD and MHD simulations, \eta_th~1 and \eta_ turb~4, consistent with the theoretical expectations. In MHD simulations, turbulent magnetic fields are rapidly generated by turbulence, and saturate at a level corresponding to \eta_mag,t~1. The presence of magnetic fields enhances the total feedback yield and therefore reduces the SFR, since the same vertical support can be supplied at a smaller SFR. We suggest further numerical calibrations and observational tests in terms of the feedback yields.