In Formation and Evolution of Galaxy Disks ASP Conference Series, Vol. 396, Proceedings of the conference held 1-5 October, 2007 at the Centro Convegni Matteo Ricci, Rome, Italy. Edited by José G. Funes, S.J., and Enrico Maria Corsini. San Francisco: Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 2008., p.233
astro-ph/0803.3069

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FUEL FOR GALAXY DISKS

Mary E. Putman 1, Jana Grcevich 1, J.E.G. Peek 2


1 University of Michigan, Dept. of Astronomy, 500 Church St, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1042
2 Dept. of Astronomy , University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720


Abstract. Halo clouds have been found about the three largest galaxies of the Local Group and in the halos of nearby spirals. This suggests they are a relatively generic feature of the galaxy evolution process and a source of fuel for galaxy disks. In this review, two main sources of disk star formation fuel, satellite material and clouds condensing from the hot halo medium, are discussed and their contribution to fueling the Galaxy quantified. The origin of the halo gas of M31 and M33 is also discussed.


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