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Sharma, Mahavir

Publications and source records attributed to Sharma, Mahavir.

SUPERNOVAE AND AGN DRIVEN GALACTIC OUTFLOWS

We present analytical solutions for winds from galaxies with a Navarro-Frank-White (NFW) dark matter halo. We consider winds driven by energy and mass injection from multiple supernovae (SNe), as well as momentum injection due to radiation from a central black hole. We find that the wind dynamics depends on three velocity scales: (1) v{sub *}{approx}( E-dot / 2 M-dot ){sup 1/2} describes the effect of starburst activity, with E-dot and M-dot as energy and mass injection rate in a central region of radius R; (2) v {sub .} {approx} (GM {sub .}/2R){sup 1/2} for the effect of a central black hole of mass M {sub .} on gas at distance R; and (3) v{sub s}=(GM{sub h} / 2Cr{sub s}){sup 1/2}, which is closely related to the circular speed (v{sub c} ) for an NFW halo, where r{sub s} is the halo scale radius and C is a function of the halo concentration parameter. Our generalized formalism, in which we treat both energy and momentum injection from starbursts and radiation from the central active galactic nucleus (AGN), allows us to estimate the wind terminal speed to be (4v {sup 2} {sub *} + 6({Gamma} - 1)v {sub .} {sup 2} - 4v {sup 2} {sub s}){sup 1/2}, where {Gamma} is the ratio of force due to radiation pressure to gravity of the central black hole. Our dynamical model also predicts the following: (1) winds from quiescent star-forming galaxies cannot escape from 10{sup 11.5} M {sub Sun} {<=} M{sub h} {<=} 10{sup 12.5} M {sub Sun} galaxies; (2) circumgalactic gas at large distances from galaxies should be present for galaxies in this mass range; (3) for an escaping wind, the wind speed in low- to intermediate-mass galaxies is {approx}400-1000 km s{sup -1}, consistent with observed X-ray temperatures; and (4) winds from massive galaxies with AGNs at Eddington limit have speeds {approx}> 1000 km s{sup -1}. We also find that the ratio [2v {sup 2} {sub *} - (1 - {Gamma})v {sub .} {sup 2}]/v {sup 2} {sub c} dictates the amount of gas lost through winds. Used in conjunction with an appropriate relation between M {sub .} and M{sub h} and an appropriate opacity of dust grains in infrared (K band), this ratio has the attractive property of being minimum at a certain halo mass scale (M{sub h} {approx} 10{sup 12}-10{sup 12.5} M {sub Sun }) that signifies the crossover of AGN domination in outflow properties from starburst activity at lower masses. We find that stellar mass for massive galaxies scales as M {sub *}{proportional_to}M {sup 0.26} {sub h}, and for low-mass galaxies, M {sub *}{proportional_to}M {sup 5/3} {sub h}.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

THE ROLES OF RADIATION AND RAM PRESSURE IN DRIVING GALACTIC WINDS

We study gaseous outflows from disk galaxies driven by the combined effects of ram pressure on cold gas clouds and radiation pressure on dust grains. Taking into account the gravity due to disk, bulge, and dark matter halo, and assuming continuous star formation in the disk, we show that radiation or ram pressure alone is not sufficient to drive escaping winds from disk galaxies and that both processes contribute. We show that in the parameter space of star formation rate (SFR) and rotation speed of galaxies the wind speed in galaxies with rotation speeds v{sub c} {<=} 200 km s{sup -1} and SFR {<=} 100 M{sub Sun} yr{sup -1} has a larger contribution from ram pressure, and that in high-mass galaxies with large SFR radiation from the disk has a greater role in driving galactic winds. The ratio of wind speed to circular speed can be approximated as v{sub w} / v{sub c} {approx} 10{sup 0.7}, [SFR/50{sub Sun }yr{sup -1}]{sup 0.4} [v{sub c}/120 km s{sup -1}]{sup -1.25}. We show that this conclusion is borne out by observations of galactic winds at low and high redshift and also of circumgalactic gas. We also estimate the mass loading factors under the combined effect of ram and radiation pressure, and show that the ratio of mass-loss rate to SFR scales roughly as v{sup -1}{sub c}{Sigma}{sub g}{sup -1}, where {Sigma}{sub g} is the gas column density in the disk.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DUST-DRIVEN WIND FROM DISK GALAXIES

We study gaseous outflows from disk galaxies driven by radiation pressure on dust grains. We include the effect of bulge and dark matter halo and show that the existence of such an outflow implies a maximum value of disk mass-to-light ratio. We show that the terminal wind speed is proportional to the disk rotation speed in the limit of a cold gaseous outflow, and that in general there is a contribution from the gas sound speed. Using the mean opacity of dust grains and the evolution of the luminosity of a simple stellar population, we then show that the ratio of the wind terminal speed (v{sub {infinity}}) to the galaxy rotation speed (v{sub c}) ranges between 2 and 3 for a period of {approx}10 Myr after a burst of star formation, after which it rapidly decays. This result is independent of any free parameter and depends only on the luminosity of the stellar population and the relation between disk and dark matter halo parameters. We briefly discuss the possible implications of our results.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗