Project Details
Projekt
The effect of the environment on the Interstellar Medium of disk galaxies
Subject Area
Astrophysics and Astronomy
Term
from 2011 to 2016
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 203262049
The space between the stars inside galaxies is filled by the interstellar medium (ISM), whose evolution is that of a multi-phase, compressible, magnetised and turbulent medium. Its complex and non-linear physics involve a huge range of spatial and temporal scales. Limits in computational power still force us to a make choice: either to study small ISM volumes at sub-pc resolution, or the global ISM of a galaxy with ~ 50 pc resolution and subgrid models for unresolved physics. This is unfortunate, because, both, small and large scales are important: Star formation and stellar feedback occur on sub-pc scales or even smaller. On the global scale, galaxies are embedded in their cosmic environment: most galaxies are not isolated but reside in galaxy groups or clusters, which are filled with a hot, tenuous intra-cluster medium (ICM). This exerts static and ram pressures onto the galaxies’ ISM, with a magnitude comparable to ISM pressures. Consequently, the ISM responds to the cluster environment.We propose two major steps towards an integrated view of the ISM: (i) We study the coupling of the ISM to the ICM of the cluster environment. (ii) For this purpose, we combine ISM simulations on a galaxy-wide scale with simulations of a kpc-size volume of ISM resolved down to sub-pc scales. Thus, we use the unique cluster environment to get new insights into the physical processes in the ISM.
DFG Programme
Priority Programmes
Subproject of
SPP 1573:
Physics of the Interstellar Medium
Participating Person
Dr. Stefan Harfst
