Do stellar winds play a decisive role in feeding AGN?

Details Do stellar winds play a decisive role in feeding AGN? Do stellar winds play a decisive role in feeding AGN?

2012-01-27

arxiv.org/abs/1201.5785v1

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

Cosmology and Extragalactic Astrophysics

to appear in 'The central kiloparsec in Galactic Nuclei', Journal of Physics: Conference Series (JPCS), IOP Publishing

Scientific paper

While the existence of a starburst-AGN connection is undisputed, there is no consensus on what the connection is. In this contribution, we begin by noting that the mechanisms which drive gas inwards in disk galaxies are generally inefficient at removing angular momentum, leading to stalled inflows. Thus, a tiered series of such processes is required to bring gas to the smallest scales, each of which on its own may not correlate with the presence of an AGN. Similarly, each may be associated with a starburst event, making it important to discriminate between 'circumnuclear' and 'nuclear' star formation. In this contribution, we show that stellar feedback on scales of tens of parsecs plays a critical role in first hindering and then helping accretion. We argue that it is only after the initial turbulent phases of a starburst that gas from slow stellar winds can accrete efficiently to smaller scales. This would imply that the properties of the obscuring torus are directly coupled to star formation and that the torus must be a complex dynamical entity. We finish by remarking on other contexts where similar processes appear to be at work.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Do stellar winds play a decisive role in feeding AGN? does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Do stellar winds play a decisive role in feeding AGN?, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Do stellar winds play a decisive role in feeding AGN? will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-345025