Simulations of the star forming molecular gas in M51

Robin Tress

Thursday December 4th, 10:15

Molecular clouds are often studied in isolation for simplicity, but the cold molecular phase of the ISM is part of a rich and dynamic galactic environment. We assess the importance of the galactic context, such as spiral arms and interactions between galaxies, in shaping the life-cycle of GMCs and their associated star formation. We perform AREPO simulations of the ISM in a live stellar potential of an M51-like interacting galaxy. We include a time-dependent chemical network designed to follow in detail the thermal and chemical evolution of the cold molecular phase of the ISM. We follow star formation with sink particles and model their associated SN feedback. We find that the galactic interaction has only a limited role in controlling the amount of cold gas and star formation. While the interaction is important to determine where the molecular gas forms, the actual fraction of gas in different ISM phases is much more sensitive to the details of the stellar feedback and the corresponding self-regulating properties.