Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics – Cosmology and Extragalactic Astrophysics
Scientific paper
2010-05-27
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
Cosmology and Extragalactic Astrophysics
17 pages, 14 figures, ApJ in press
Scientific paper
We use high-resolution three-dimensional adaptive mesh refinement simulations to investigate the interaction of high-redshift galaxy outflows with low-mass virialized clouds of primordial composition. While atomic cooling allows star formation in objects with virial temperatures above $10^4$ K, "minihaloes" below this threshold are generally unable to form stars by themselves. However, these objects are highly susceptible to triggered star formation, induced by outflows from neighboring high-redshift starburst galaxies. Here we conduct a study of these interactions, focusing on cooling through non-equilibrium molecular hydrogen (H$_2$) and hydrogen deuteride (HD) formation. Tracking the non-equilibrium chemistry and cooling of 14 species and including the presence of a dissociating background, we show that shock interactions can transform minihaloes into extremely compact clusters of coeval stars. Furthermore, these clusters are all less than $\approx 10^6 M_\odot,$ and they are ejected from their parent dark matter halos: properties that are remarkably similar to those of the old population of globular clusters.
Gray William J.
Scannapieco Evan
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