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Hydrodynamic and Spectroscopic Studies of Starburst-Driven Galactic Outflows

Yu, Bei Ping Brian; (2023) Hydrodynamic and Spectroscopic Studies of Starburst-Driven Galactic Outflows. Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London). Green open access

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Abstract

The hydrodynamic (HD) and spectroscopic properties of starburst-driven galactic outflows are investigated in this thesis. These multiphase outflows are a direct consequence of star-formation activities, and are often found in starburst galaxies which have undergone an episode of rapid star formation. The HD equations are formulated to analytically compute the HD profiles of the outflowing hot gas, and various driving mechanisms, including thermal energy, radiation and cosmic rays (CRs), are incorporated simultaneously. For a starburst galaxy like M82, thermal energy is the most effective driving mechanism, while radiation is unable to substantially increase the outflow velocity. CR-driven outflows can attain similar velocity, but the outflow temperature is cooler overall. These analytical results are further validated by the numerical simulations performed in this thesis, which are in excellent agreement with each other. The HD profiles are applied to compute the synthetic X-ray spectra, which show that the spectral features are sensitive to the changes in the outflow temperature and can be identified to distinguish between different driving mechanisms. Finally, the optical spectra of star-forming galaxies in a large survey are analysed to investigate the kinematics of warm ionised gas that are susceptible to be radially accelerated by the outflowing hot gas. Such bulk motion is traced by implementing a novel method which measures the kurtosis of the most prominent emission lines. The outflow signature is present in massive galaxies that are strongly star-forming, and the results are consistent with the picture of galactic outflows driven along the path of least resistance with accumulated impacts on the interstellar gas. These HD and spectroscopic analyses of the theoretical and observational results can be applied in conjunction to provide insights into the properties of galactic outflows and their roles in galaxy evolution.

Type: Thesis (Doctoral)
Qualification: Ph.D
Title: Hydrodynamic and Spectroscopic Studies of Starburst-Driven Galactic Outflows
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
Language: English
Additional information: Copyright © The Author 2023. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request.
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences > Dept of Space and Climate Physics
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10166809
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