Open AccessStar formation bursts in isolated spiral galaxies
Author(s) -
Clarke C.,
Gittins D.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
monthly notices of the royal astronomical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.058
H-Index - 383
eISSN - 1365-2966
pISSN - 0035-8711
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2006.10597.x
Subject(s) - physics , astrophysics , spiral galaxy , star formation , spiral (railway) , galaxy , barred spiral galaxy , irregular galaxy , lenticular galaxy , astronomy , mathematical analysis , mathematics
We study the response of the gaseous component of a galactic disc to the time‐dependent potential generated by N ‐body simulations of a spiral galaxy. The results show significant variation of the spiral structure of the gas which might be expected to result in significant fluctuations in the star formation rate (SFR). Pronounced local variations of the SFR are anticipated in all cases. Bursty histories for the global SFR, however, require that the mean surface density is much less (around an order of magnitude less) than the putative threshold for star formation. We thus suggest that bursty star formation histories, normally attributed to mergers and/or tidal interactions, may be a normal pattern for gas‐poor isolated spiral galaxies.