On the Feedback from Super Stellar Clusters. I. The Structure of Giant H II Regions and H II Galaxies

We review the structural properties of giant extragalactic H II regions and H II galaxies based on two-dimensional hydrodynamic calculations and propose an evolutionary sequence that accounts for their observed detailed structure. The model assumes a massive and young stellar cluster surrounded by a large collection of clouds. These are thus exposed to the most important star formation feedback mechanisms: photoionization and the cluster wind. The models show how the two feedback mechanisms compete with each other in the disruption of clouds and lead to two different hydrodynamic solutions: the storage of clouds into a long-lasting ragged shell that inhibits the expansion of the thermalized wind and the steady filtering of the shocked wind gas through channels carved within the cloud stratum. Both solutions are here claimed to be concurrently at work in giant H II regions and H II galaxies, causing their detailed inner structure. This includes multiple large-scale shells, filled with an X-ray-emitting gas, that evolve to finally merge with each other, giving the appearance of shells within shells. The models also show how the inner filamentary structure of the giant superbubbles is largely enhanced with matter ablated from clouds and how cloud ablation proceeds within the original cloud stratum. The calculations point at the initial contrast density between the cloud and the intercloud media as the factor that defines which of the two feedback mechanisms becomes dominant throughout the evolution. Animated versions of the models presented can be found at http://www.iaa.csic.es/~eperez/ssc/ssc.html.