Angular momentum and local gravitational instability in galaxy discs: does Q correlate with j or M ?
Journal article, 2018

We introduce a new diagnostic for exploring the link between angular momentum and local gravitational instability in galaxy discs. Our diagnostic incorporates the latest developments in disc instability research, is fully consistent with approximations that are widely used for measuring the stellar specific angular momentum, j⋆ = J⋆/M⋆, and is also very simple. We show that such a disc instability diagnostic hardly correlates with j⋆ or M⋆, and is remarkably constant across spiral galaxies of any given type (Sa-Sd), stellar mass (M_{⋆}=10^{9.5}-10^{11.5} M_{⊙}), and velocity dispersion anisotropy (σz⋆/σR⋆ = 0-1). The fact that M⋆ is tightly correlated with star formation rate, molecular gas mass (Mmol), metallicity (12 + log O/H), and other fundamental galaxy properties thus implies that nearby star-forming spirals self-regulate to a quasi-universal disc stability level. This not only proves the existence of the self-regulation process postulated by several star formation models, but also raises important caveats.

galaxies: kinematics and dynamics

galaxies: star formation

instabilities

galaxies: ISM

stars: kinematics and dynamics

ISM: kinematics and dynamics

Author

Alessandro Romeo

Chalmers, Space, Earth and Environment, Astronomy and Plasmaphysics

Keoikantse Moses Mogotsi

South African Astronomical Observatory

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters

17453925 (ISSN) 17453933 (eISSN)

Vol. 480 1 L23-L27

Subject Categories

Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology

Roots

Basic sciences

DOI

10.1093/mnrasl/sly119

More information

Latest update

3/22/2021