Regulation of Star Formation in Turbulent, Multiphase Interstellar Media

Using two-dimensional numerical hydrodynamic simulations, we investigate the star formation rate (SFR) in turbulent, multiphase, galactic gaseous disks. Our simulation domain is axisymmetric, and local in the radial direction and global in the vertical direction. Our models include galactic rotation, vertical density stratification, self-gravity, radiative heating and cooling, and thermal conduction, but do not include spiral-arm features. Turbulence in our models is driven by momentum feedback from supernova explosion events occurring in localized dense regions formed by thermal and gravitational instabilities. Self-consistent radiative heating, representing enhanced/reduced FUV photons from the star formation, is also taken into account. By controlling three parameters (the gas surface density, the stellar disk density, and the angular rotation rate) that characterize local galactic disks, we explore how the SFR depends on the background environmental state. We also discuss the relation between the SFR and the gas surface density found in our numerical models in comparison with observations.