Hydrodynamics and stability of galactic cooling flows

Using numerical techniques we study the global stability of cooling flows in X‐ray luminous giant elliptical galaxies. As an unperturbed equilibrium state we choose the hydrostatic gas recycling model. Non‐equilibrium radiative cooling, stellar mass loss, heating by type Ia supernovae, distributed mass deposition and thermal conductivity are included. Although the recycling model reproduces the basic X‐ray observables, it appears to be unstable with respect to the development of inflow or outflow. In spherical symmetry the inflows are subject to a central cooling catastrophe, while the outflows saturate in a form of a subsonic galactic wind. Two‐dimensional axisymmetric random velocity perturbations of the equilibrium model trigger the onset of a cooling catastrophe, which develops in an essentially non‐spherical way. The simulations show a patchy pattern of mass deposition and the formation of hollow gas jets, which penetrate through the outflow down to the galaxy core. The X‐ray observables of such a hybrid gas flow mimic those of the equilibrium recycling model, but the gas temperature exhibits a central depression. The mass deposition rate M ˙ consists of two contributions of similar size: (i) a hydrostatic one resembling that of the equilibrium model, and (ii) a dynamical one which is related to the jets and is more concentrated towards the centre. For a model galaxy, like NGC 4472, our 2D simulations predict M ˙ ≈ 2 M⊙ yr −1 within the cooling radius for the advanced non‐linear stage of the instability. We discuss the implications of these results to Hα nebulae and star formation in cooling flow galaxies and emphasize the need for high‐resolution 3D simulations.