The Physics of Galactic Winds Driven by Cosmic Rays I: Diffusion

Authors: Eliot Quataert, Todd A. Thompson, Yan-Fei Jiang

arXiv: 2102.05696v1 - DOI (astro-ph.GA)
submitted to MNRAS; 20 p, 10 figs; comments welcome
License: CC BY 4.0

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In this paper, the authors explore the intricate physics of Cosmic Ray (CR) transport and its role in generating galaxy-scale outflows. They focus on CR-driven galactic winds dominated by diffusion and present a comprehensive analysis supported by both analytic calculations and simulations. By considering diffusion coefficients above a critical threshold, they reveal that these winds exhibit an energy flux comparable to that supplied to CRs, leading to rapid acceleration. However, for lower diffusion coefficients, CR-driven winds experience slower acceleration and predominantly lose their energy to gravity. The authors also predict mass-loss rates in these winds based on Fermi gamma-ray observations of pion decay. While they are consistent with star formation rates in dwarf and disc galaxies, they fall short in reconciling discrepancies between stellar and dark matter halo mass functions. Additionally, nuclear starbursts such as M82 and Arp 220 demonstrate the significant impact of CR diffusion and pion losses on weakening CR pressure within galaxies and dampening the strength of CR-driven winds. These findings have implications for interpreting observations of galactic winds and shedding light on the involvement of CRs in shaping galaxy formation processes. Through a synthesis of analytical predictions with numerical simulations, this study provides valuable insights into the complex interplay between cosmic rays and galactic dynamics.
AI-generated keywords: Cosmic Ray Transport CR-Driven Galactic Winds Diffusion Coefficients Fermi Gamma-Ray Observations Galactic Dynamics

AI-generated Key Points

  • Authors explore the physics of Cosmic Ray (CR) transport and its role in generating galaxy-scale outflows
  • Focus on CR-driven galactic winds dominated by diffusion
  • Comprehensive analysis supported by analytic calculations and simulations
  • Winds exhibit energy flux comparable to that supplied to CRs for diffusion coefficients above a critical threshold, leading to rapid acceleration
  • For lower diffusion coefficients, CR-driven winds experience slower acceleration and lose energy predominantly to gravity
  • Predict mass-loss rates in these winds based on Fermi gamma-ray observations of pion decay
  • Consistent mass-loss rates with star formation rates in dwarf and disc galaxies, but discrepancies with stellar and dark matter halo mass functions exist
  • Nuclear starbursts like M82 and Arp 220 show significant impact of CR diffusion and pion losses on weakening CR pressure within galaxies and dampening strength of CR-driven winds
  • Findings have implications for interpreting observations of galactic winds and understanding the involvement of CRs in shaping galaxy formation processes
Also access our AI generated: Comprehensive summary, Lay summary, Blog-like article; or ask questions about this paper to our AI assistant.

Abstract: The physics of Cosmic ray (CR) transport remains a key uncertainty in assessing whether CRs can produce galaxy-scale outflows consistent with observations. In this paper, we elucidate the physics of CR-driven galactic winds for CR transport dominated by diffusion. A companion paper considers CR streaming. We use analytic estimates validated by time-dependent spherically-symmetric simulations to derive expressions for the mass-loss rate, momentum flux, and speed of CR-driven galactic winds, suitable for cosmological-scale or semi-analytic models of galaxy formation. For CR diffusion coefficients $\kappa \gtrsim r_0 c_i$ where $r_0$ is the base radius of the wind and $c_i$ is the isothermal gas sound speed, the asymptotic wind energy flux is comparable to that supplied to CRs, and the outflow rapidly accelerates to supersonic speeds. By contrast, for $\kappa \lesssim r_0 c_i$, CR-driven winds accelerate more slowly and lose most of their energy to gravity, a CR analogue of photon-tired stellar winds. Given CR diffusion coefficients estimated using Fermi gamma-ray observations of pion decay, we predict mass-loss rates in CR-driven galactic winds of order the star formation rate for dwarf and disc galaxies. The dwarf galaxy mass-loss rates are small compared to the mass-loadings needed to reconcile the stellar and dark matter halo mass functions. For nuclear starbursts (e.g., M82, Arp 220), CR diffusion and pion losses suppress the CR pressure in the galaxy and the strength of CR-driven winds. We discuss the implications of our results for interpreting observations of galactic winds and for the role of CRs in galaxy formation.

Submitted to arXiv on 10 Feb. 2021

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