Instabilities in the ionization zones around the first stars

Autor(en)
E. O. Vasiliev, E. I. Vorobyov, A. O. Razoumov, Yu A. Shchekinov
Abstrakt

We consider the evolution of the ionization zone around Population III stars with M * ~ 25-200M in protogalaxies with M ~ 10 7M at redshifts z = 12, assuming that the dark-energy profile is a modified isothermal sphere. We study the conditions for the growth of instabilities in the ionization zones. The Rayleigh-Taylor and thermal instabilities develop efficiently in the ionization zones around 25-40M stars, while this efficiency is lower for stars withM * ~ 120M . For more massive stars (~200M ), the flux of ionizing photons is strong enough to considerably reduce the gas density in the ionization zone, and the typical lifetimes of stars (~2 Myr) are insufficient for the growth of instabilities. The gas in a protogalaxy with M ~ 10 7M with a 200M central star is completely ionized by the end of the star's lifetime; in the case of a 120M central star, only one-third of the total mass of gas is ionized. Thus, ionizing photons from stars with M * ≲ 120M cannot leave protogalaxies with M ≳ 10 7M . If the masses of the central stars are 25 and 40M , the gas in protogalaxies of this mass remains essentially neutral. We discuss the consequences of the evolution of the ionization zones for the propagation of the envelope after the supernova explosions of the strs and the efficiency of enrichment of the intergalactic medium in heavy elements.

Organisation(en)
Forschungsplattform Internationales Erwin Schrödinger Institut für Mathematik und Physik, Institut für Astrophysik
Externe Organisation(en)
Southern Federal University, SHARCNET, Russian Academy of Sciences
Journal
Astronomy Reports
Band
56
Seiten
564-571
Anzahl der Seiten
8
ISSN
1063-7729
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1134/S1063772912060066
Publikationsdatum
07-2012
Peer-reviewed
Ja
ÖFOS 2012
103004 Astrophysik
ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete
Astronomy and Astrophysics, Space and Planetary Science
Link zum Portal
https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/de/publications/e87852ac-e5c4-4001-853f-c21539a8b81c