THE EFFECT OF AGN FEEDBACK ON THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM OF EARLY-TYPE GALAXIES: 2D HYDRODYNAMICAL SIMULATIONS OF THE LOW-ROTATION CASE

Abstract

We present two-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations for the evolution of early-type galaxies containing central massive black holes (MBHs), starting at an age of . The code contains accurate and physically consistent radiative and mechanical active galactic nucleus (AGN) wind feedback, with parsec-scale central resolution. Mass input comes from stellar evolution; energy input includes Type Ia (SNIa) and II supernovae and stellar heating; star formation (SF) is included. Realistic, axisymmetric dynamical galaxy models are built solving the Jeans’ equations. The lowest mass models ( ) develop global outflows sustained by SNIa heating, ending with a lower amount of hot gas and new stars. In more massive models, nuclear outbursts last to the present epoch, with large and frequent fluctuations in nuclear emission and from the gas ( ). Each burst lasts years, during which cold, inflowing, and hot, outflowing gas phases coexist. The relation for the gas matches that of local galaxies. AGN activity causes positive feedback for SF. Roughly half of the total mass loss is recycled into new stars ( ), just ≃3% of it is accreted on the MBH, the remainder being ejected from the galaxy. The ratio between the mass of gas expelled to that in new stars, the load factor, is . Rounder galaxy shapes lead to larger final MBH masses, , and . Almost all of the time is spent at very low nuclear luminosities, yet one quarter of the total energy is emitted at an Eddington ratio . The duty-cycle of AGN activity is approximately 4%.