Bursts of star formation and radiation-driven outflows produce efficient LyC leakage from dense compact star clusters

TL;DR

This study uses radiation hydrodynamic simulations to show that dense, compact star clusters can efficiently leak ionizing photons due to burst-driven outflows, impacting our understanding of cosmic reionization.

Contribution

It demonstrates that high-density star clusters with $ ext{Σ} extgreater 10^4$ M$_ ext{⊙}$ pc$^{-2}$ have high LyC escape fractions, revealing the physical conditions promoting photon leakage.

Findings

High-density clusters have escape fractions $ extgreater 80\\%$.

LyC escape is driven by radiation pressure on dust-induced outflows.

Starburst episodes enable early LyC leakage before stellar emission declines.

Abstract

The escape of LyC photons emitted by massive stars from the dense interstellar medium of galaxies is one of the most significant bottlenecks for cosmological reionization. The escape fraction shows significant scatter between galaxies, and anisotropic, spatial variation within them, motivating further study of the underlying physical factors responsible for these trends. We perform numerical radiation hydrodynamic simulations of idealized clouds with different gas surface densities (compactness) $\Sigma \sim 10^2$--$10^5 \, M_{\odot} \rm{pc}^{-2}$, meant to emulate star cluster-forming clumps ranging from conditions typical of the local Universe to the high ISM-pressure conditions more frequently encountered at high redshift. Our results indicate that dense compact star clusters with $\Sigma \gtrsim 10^4 \, M_{\odot} \rm{pc}^{-2}$ efficiently leak LyC photons, with cloud-scale luminosity-weighted average escape fractions $\gtrsim 80\%$ as opposed to $\lesssim 10\%$ for $\Sigma \sim 100 \, M_{\odot} \rm{pc}^{-2}$. This occurs due to higher star formation efficiencies and shorter dynamical timescales at higher $\Sigma$; the former results in higher intrinsic LyC emission, and the latter implies rapid evolution, with a burst of star formation followed by rapid gas dispersal, permitting high LyC escape well before the intrinsic LyC emission of stellar populations drop ($\sim 4 \, \mathrm{Myr}$). LyC escape in dense clouds is primarily facilitated by highly ionized outflows driven by radiation pressure on dust with velocities $ \sim 3$ times the cloud escape velocity. We also vary the (assumed) dust abundances ($Z_{\rm{d}}$) and find a very mild increase ($\sim 10%$) in the escape fraction for $\sim 100$ lower $Z_{\mathrm{d}}$. Our results suggest a scenario in which localized compact bursts of star formation in galaxies are disproportionately productive sites of LyC leakage.