LYRA I: Simulating the multi-phase ISM of a dwarf galaxy with variable energy supernovae from individual stars

TL;DR

LYRA introduces a high-resolution galaxy formation model that simulates the multi-phase ISM and variable supernova feedback, revealing its impact on outflows and star formation in dwarf galaxies.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel galaxy formation model within AREPO that resolves the multi-phase ISM and incorporates variable supernova energies, enabling more realistic feedback processes.

Findings

Supernovae are mostly Sedov-resolved at 4 M_sun resolution.

SN feedback creates a hot ISM phase driving outflows and suppressing star formation.

Variable SN energy modulates outflow mass loading and metal retention.

Abstract

We introduce the LYRA project, a new high resolution galaxy formation model built within the framework of the cosmological hydro-dynamical moving mesh code AREPO. The model resolves the multi-phase interstellar medium down to 10 K. It forms individual stars sampled from the initial mass function (IMF), and tracks their lifetimes and death pathways individually. Single supernova (SN) blast waves with variable energy are followed within the hydrodynamic calculation to interact with the surrounding interstellar medium (ISM). In this paper, we present the methods and apply the model to a $10^{10} M_{\odot}$ isolated halo. We demonstrate that the majority of supernovae are Sedov-resolved at our fiducial gas mass resolution of $4 M_{\odot}$. We show that our SN feedback prescription self-consistently produces a hot phase within the ISM that drives significant outflows, reduces the gas density and suppresses star formation. Clustered SN play a major role in enhancing the effectiveness of feedback, because the majority of explosions occur in low density material. Accounting for variable SN energy allows the feedback to respond directly to stellar evolution. We show that the ISM is sensitive to the spatially distributed energy deposition. It strongly affects the outflow behaviour, reducing the mass loading by a factor of 2-3, thus allowing the galaxy to retain a higher fraction of mass and metals. LYRA makes it possible to use a comprehensive multi-physics ISM model directly in cosmological (zoom) simulations of dwarf and higher mass galaxies.