Open AccessSelf‐regulated active galactic nuclei heating in elliptical galaxies
Author(s) -
Kawata D.,
Gibson B. K.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
monthly notices of the royal astronomical society: letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.067
H-Index - 122
eISSN - 1745-3933
pISSN - 1745-3925
DOI - 10.1111/j.1745-3933.2005.00018.x
Subject(s) - active galactic nucleus , physics , astrophysics , elliptical galaxy , galaxy , galaxy formation and evolution , star formation , astronomy
We study the effect of active galactic nuclei (AGN) heating on the chemodynamical evolution of elliptical galaxies and their X‐ray and optical properties using high‐resolution Λ‐dominated cold dark matter cosmological simulations. Our model considers an AGN as being ‘active’ when a convergent gas inflow condition exists within the nucleus of a galaxy; otherwise, the AGN is assumed to remain dormant. This induces a self‐regulated activity for the AGN, the result of which leads to a stable hot corona and the suppression of significant late‐time star formation – characteristics not encountered in traditional chemodynamical models of ellipticals. These properties of our AGN heating model lead to a system consistent with both the X‐ray and optical properties of comparable elliptical galaxies.