A wind in the Galaxy

Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics

Scientific paper

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Astronomical Models, Galactic Structure, Gas Density, Interstellar Gas, Milky Way Galaxy, Stellar Winds, Wind Effects, Galactic Bulge, Gas Flow, Gas Temperature, Hubble Diagram, Hydrodynamics, Molecular Gases, Stellar Mass Ejection, Stellar Temperature, Supernovae

Scientific paper

The presence of a wind in the galactic bulge is investigated as the cause of the observed minimum of neutral gas density from 0.5 to 4 kpc. Estimates of gas temperature in the bulge are shown to predict the existence of an outward flow of gas throughout a large portion of the bulge, given current estimates of supernova heating rates and stellar mass-loss rates. A hydrodynamic model of a bulge wind consisting of gas recently shed from evolving stars is then used to investigate the interaction of disk and bulge gas, and it is found that the presence of a disk of gas at any temperature and density does not stop the flow of a wind from the bulge. Cold molecular clouds in the bulge region are argued to be dynamically isolated from the wind; however, if they interact thermally through electron conduction, the wind will be limited to outside of a critical radius from 0.3 to 1 kpc. Calculations of the mass of the molecular gas accumulated within this radius over the Hubble time are found to be in agreement with the observed amount. It is pointed out that although the proposed wind prevents new gas from accumulating in the bulge, mechanisms for the depletion of the original gas from the area and the future evolution of the wind remain unclear.

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