High Velocity Clouds: the Missing Link?

نویسندگان

  • DAVID N. SPERGEL
  • PETER J. TEUBEN
چکیده

Hierarchical structure formation models predict the existence of large numbers of low velocity dispersion dark halos. Galaxy surveys find far fewer galaxies than predicted by analytical estimates and numerical simulations. In this paper, we suggest that these dark halos are not missing, but have been merely misplaced in the galactic astronomy section of the journals: they are the High Velocity Clouds (HVCs). We review the predictions of our model for the Local Group origin of the HVCs and its implications for the formation and the evolution of our Galaxy. We describe recent observations that confirm many of earlier predictions and discuss future tests of the model. 1. The Missing Galaxy Problem A generic prediction of hierarchical structure formation models is the existence of large numbers of low mass halos. The Press-Schechter formalism (Press & Schechter 1974) predicts that the galaxy mass function, n(M) ∝ M exp(−M/M∗) (1) has a steep faint end slope, α ≃ −2. Numerical simulations (Efstathiou et al. 1988; Gelb & Bertschinger 1994, Klypin et al. 1999) are consistent with the Press-Schechter approach: they also predict copious low mass halos.

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تاریخ انتشار 1999