Cosmic rays across the star-forming galaxy sequence – II. Stability limits and the onset of cosmic ray-driven outflows

Abstract

ABSTRACT Cosmic rays (CRs) are a plausible mechanism for launching winds of cool material from the discs of star-forming galaxies. However, there is no consensus on what types of galaxies likely host CR-driven winds, or what role these winds might play in regulating galaxies’ star formation rates. Using a detailed treatment of the transport and losses of hadronic CRs developed in the previous paper in this series, here we develop a semi-analytical model that allows us to assess the viability of using CRs to launch cool winds from galactic discs. In particular, we determine the critical CR fluxes – and corresponding star formation rate surface densities – above which hydrostatic equilibrium within a given galaxy is precluded because CRs drive the gas off in a wind or otherwise render it unstable. Our model demonstrates that catastrophic, CR-driven wind loss is a possibility at galactic mean surface densities below ${\lesssim}10^2 \ \mathrm{ M}_{\odot }$ pc−2. In this regime – encompassing the Galaxy and local dwarfs – the locus of the CR-stability curve patrols the high side of the observed distribution of galaxies in the Kennicutt–Schmidt parameter space of star formation rate versus gas surface density. However, hadronic losses render CRs unable to drive global winds in galaxies with surface densities above the ∼102−103 M⊙ pc−2 transition region. Our results show that quiescent, low surface density galaxies like the Milky Way are poised on the cusp of instability, such that small changes to interstellar mass (ISM) parameters can lead to the launching of CR-driven outflows, and we suggest that, as a result, CR feedback sets an ultimate limit to the star formation efficiency of most modern galaxies.