Photoevaporation of Cosmological Minihalos by the First Stars

ORAL

Abstract

Whalen et al. [1] conducted a survey which analyzed the effect of radiative feedback by one primordial star on subsequent star formation. Their study found results deviating from previous one-dimensional modeling. We extended the survey by performing two-dimensional simulations of cosmological minihalo evaporation using the astrophysical fluid hydrodynamic code ZEUS-MP. This code was run varying primordial star size (25 - 80 M$_{\odot})$, halo to star distance (150 - 1000 pc), and halo central density(1.43 - 1569 cm$^{-3})$. We find that the ionization front of the star penetrates nearby halos to varying degrees according to their central density and proximity to the star. The degree of penetration may prevent, postpone, delay or have no effect on star formation. \\[4pt] [1] D. Whalen, B. W. O'Shea, J. Smidt, and M. L. Norman, ``How the First Stars Regulated Local Star Formation. I. Radiative Feedback,'' The Astrophysical Journal 679, 925--941 (2008).

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Authors

  • Thomas McConkie

    Brigham Young University

  • Daniel Whalen

    Los Alamos National Laboratory

  • Andrew Polemi

    Utah State University, Brigham Young University, University of Pennsylvania, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, High Altitude Observatory, University of Colorado at Boulder, Massachutes Institute of Technology, Utah Valley University, University of New Hampshire, Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University, University of Montana, Southwest Research Institute, University of Southern California, Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Center, University of Chicago, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, SciPrint.org, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Colorado State University, V. Alecsandri College, Bacau, Romania, Colorado School of Mines, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Utah State University, Department of Physics, Brigham Young University, Provo, Huntsman Cancer Institute, Brigham Young University - Idaho, University of Arizona, Florida State University, Weber State University, Brigham Young University - Provo, New Mexico State University, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523