Universität zu Köln

Kruijssen, J. M. D., Dale, J. E., Longmore, S. N., Walker, D. L., Henshaw, J. D., Jeffreson, S. M. R., Petkova, M. A., Ginsburg, A., Barnes, A. T., Battersby, C. D., Immer, K., Jackson, J. M., Keto, E. R., Krieger, N., Mills, E. A. C., Sanchez-Monge, A., Schmiedeke, A., Suri, S. T. and Zhang, Q. (2019). The dynamical evolution of molecular clouds near the Galactic Centre II. Spatial structure and kinematics of simulated clouds. Mon. Not. Roy. Astron. Soc., 484 (4). S. 5734 - 5755. OXFORD: OXFORD UNIV PRESS. ISSN 1365-2966

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Abstract

The evolution of molecular clouds in galactic centres is thought to differ from that in galactic discs due to a significant influence of the external gravitational potential. We present a set of numerical simulations of molecular clouds orbiting on the 100-pc stream of the Central Molecular Zone (the central similar to 500 pc of the Galaxy) and characterize their morphological and kinematic evolution in response to the background potential and eccentric orbital motion. We find that the clouds are shaped by strong shear and torques, by tidal and geometric deformation, and by their passage through the orbital pericentre. Within our simulations, these mechanisms control cloud sizes, aspect ratios, position angles, filamentary structure, column densities, velocity dispersions, line-of-sight velocity gradients, spin angular momenta, and kinematic complexity. By comparing these predictions to observations of clouds on the Galactic Centre 'dust ridge', we find that our simulations naturally reproduce a broad range of key observed morphological and kinematic features, which can be explained in terms of well-understood physical mechanisms. We argue that the accretion of gas clouds on to the central regions of galaxies, where the rotation curve turns over and the tidal field is fully compressive, is accompanied by transformative dynamical changes to the clouds, leading to collapse and star formation. This can generate an evolutionary progression of cloud collapse with a common starting point, which either marks the time of accretion on to the tidally compressive region or of the most recent pericentre passage. Together, these processes may naturally produce the synchronized starbursts observed in numerous (extra) galactic nuclei.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Kruijssen, J. M. D. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Dale, J. E. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Longmore, S. N. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Walker, D. L. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Henshaw, J. D. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Jeffreson, S. M. R. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Petkova, M. A. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Ginsburg, A. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Barnes, A. T. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Battersby, C. D. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Immer, K. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Jackson, J. M. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Keto, E. R. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Krieger, N. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Mills, E. A. C. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Sanchez-Monge, A. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Schmiedeke, A. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Suri, S. T. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Zhang, Q. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-152725
DOI:	10.1093/mnras/stz381
Journal or Publication Title:	Mon. Not. Roy. Astron. Soc.
Volume:	484
Number:	4
Page Range:	S. 5734 - 5755
Date:	2019
Publisher:	OXFORD UNIV PRESS
Place of Publication:	OXFORD
ISSN:	1365-2966
Language:	English
Faculty:	Unspecified
Divisions:	Unspecified
Subjects:	no entry
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Keywords Language PLANE SURVEY HOPS; STAR-FORMATION; MILKY-WAY; GAS; ENVIRONMENT; CONTINUUM; ROTATION; GALAXIES; STARBURSTS; COLLISION Multiple languages Astronomy & Astrophysics Multiple languages
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/15272