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ABSTRACT Large-scale galactic winds driven by stellar feedback are one phenomenon that influences the dynamical and chemical evolution of a galaxy, redistributing material throughout the circumgalatic medium. Non-thermal feedback from galactic cosmic rays (CRs) – high-energy charged particles accelerated in supernovae and young stars – can impact the efficiency of wind driving. The streaming instability limits the speed at which they can escape. However, in the presence of turbulence, the streaming instability is subject to suppression that depends on the magnetization of turbulence given by its Alfvén Mach number. While previous simulations that relied on a simplified model of CR transport have shown that super-Alfvénic streaming of CRs enhances galactic winds, in this paper we take into account a realistic model of streaming suppression. We perform three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic simulations of a section of a galactic disc and find that turbulent damping dependent on local magnetization of turbulent interstellar medium (ISM) leads to more spatially extended gas and CR distributions compared to the earlier streaming calculations, and that scale heights of these distributions increase for stronger turbulence. Our results indicate that the star formation rate increases with the level of turbulence in the ISM. We also find that the instantaneous wind mass loading is sensitive to local streaming physics with the mass loading dropping significantly as the strength of turbulence increases.
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This content will become publicly available on July 8, 2026
Cosmic-Ray-driven Galactic Winds with Resolved Interstellar Medium and Ion-neutral Damping
Abstract Feedback processes in galaxies dictate their structure and evolution. Baryons can be cycled through stars, which inject energy into the interstellar medium in supernova explosions, fueling multiphase galactic winds. Cosmic rays (CRs) accelerated at supernova remnants are an important component of feedback. CRs can effectively contribute to wind driving; however, their impact heavily depends on the assumed CR transport model. We run high-resolution “tallbox” simulations of a patch of a galactic disk using the moving mesh magnetohydrodynamics code Arepo, including varied CR implementations and the Crispnonequilibrium thermochemistry model. We characterize the impact of CR feedback on star formation and multiphase outflows. While CR-driven winds are able to supply energy to a global-scale wind, a purely thermal wind loses most of its energy by the time it reaches 3 kpc above the disk midplane. We further find that the adopted CR transport model significantly affects the steady state of the wind. In the model with CR advection, streaming, diffusion, and nonlinear Landau damping, CRs provide very strong feedback. Additionally, accounting for ion-neutral damping (IND) decouples CRs from the cold ISM, which reduces the impact of CRs on the star formation rate. Nevertheless, CRs in this most realistic model are able to accelerate warm gas and levitate cool gas in the wind but have little effect on cold gas and hot gas. This model displays moderate mass loading and significant CR energy loading, demonstrating that IND does not prevent CRs from providing effective feedback.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2009227
- PAR ID:
- 10654203
- Publisher / Repository:
- ApJ
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- The Astrophysical Journal
- Volume:
- 987
- Issue:
- 2
- ISSN:
- 0004-637X
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 204
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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