Massive Galaxies Impede Massive Outflows

TL;DR

This study uses 3D hydrodynamical simulations to show that massive galaxies significantly slow down starburst-driven outflows, indicating the need to modify existing analytic models to include gravitational effects for higher mass galaxies.

Contribution

It demonstrates how gravity impacts outflow velocities and mass in different galaxy mass regimes, providing revised scaling relations and highlighting limitations of previous models.

Findings

Outflow velocities match analytic models for galaxies below 10^10 solar masses.

Gravity reduces outflow velocities and mass in galaxies above 10^10 solar masses.

Only galaxies less than ~10^11.5 solar masses can sustain outflows according to the models.

Abstract

A set of 66 3D hydrodynamical simulations explores how galactic stellar mass affects three-phase, starburst-driven outflows. Simulated velocities are compared to two basic analytic models: with (Johnson \& Axford 1971) and without (Chevalier \& Clegg 1985) a gravitational potential. For stellar mass $<10^{10}$ solar masses, simulated velocities match those of both analytical models and are unaffected by the potential; above they reduce significantly as expected from the analytic model with gravity. Gravity also affects total outflow mass and each of the three phases differently. Outflow mass in the hot, warm, and cold phases each scale with stellar mass as $\log M_*=$ -0.25, -0.97, and -1.70, respectively. Thus, the commonly used Chevalier \& Clegg analytic model should be modified to include gravity when applied to higher mass galaxies. In particular, using M82 as the canonical galaxy to interpret hydrodynamical simulations of starburst-driven outflows from higher mass galaxies will underestimate the retarding effect of gravity. Using the analytic model of Johnson \& Axford with realistic thermalization efficiency and mass loading I find that only galaxy masses that are less than $\sim10^{11.5}$ solar masses can outflow.