Abstract
The Milky Way is surrounded by large amounts of gaseous matter that are slowly being accreted over cosmic timescales to support star formation in the disk. The corresponding gas-accretion rate represents a key parameter for the past, present, and future evolution of the Milky Way. In this chapter, we discuss our current understanding of gas accretion processes in the Galaxy by reviewing past and recent observational and theoretical studies. The first part of this review deals with the spatial distribution of the different gas phases in the Milky Way halo, the origin of the gas, and its total mass. The second part discusses the gas dynamics and the physical processes that regulate the gas flow from the outer Galactic halo to the disk. From the most recent studies follows that the present-day gas accretion rate of the Milky Way is a few solar masses per year, which is sufficient to maintain the Galaxy’s star-formation rate at its current level.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adams, W.S. 1949, ApJ, 109, 354
Agertz, O., Moore, B., Stadel, J., et al. 2007, MNRAS, 380, 963
Anderson, M.E., & Bregman, J.N. 2010, ApJ, 714, 320
Armilotta, L., Fraternali, F., & Marinacci, F. 2016, MNRAS, 462, 4157
Bajaja, E., Cappa de Nicolau, C.E., Cersosimo, J.C. et al. 1985, ApJS, 58, 143
Bates, B., Catney, M.G., & Keenan, F.P. 1988, ASS 146, 195
Bauermeister, A., Blitz, L., & Ma, C.-P. 2010, ApJ, 717, 323
Begum, A., Stanimirovic, S., Peek, J.E.G., et al. 2010, ApJ, 722, 395
Ben Bekhti, N., Richter, P., Westmeier, T., & Murphy, M.T. 2008, A&A, 487, 583
Ben Bekhti, N., Winkel, B., Richter, P., et al. 2012, A&A, 542, A110
Besla, G., Kallivayalil, N., Hernquist, L., et al. 2010, ApJL, 721, L97
Besla, G., Kallivayalil, N., Hernquist, L., et al. 2012, MNRAS, 421, 210
Birnboim, Y., & Dekel, A. 2003, MNRAS, 345, 349
Blaauw, A. & Tolbert, C.R. 1966, BAN, 18, 405
Bland-Hawthorn, J., Veilleux, S., Cecil, G. N., et al. 1998, MNRAS, 299, 611
Bland-Hawthorn, J., & Putman, M. E. 2001, in ASP Conf. Ser. 240, Gas and Galaxy Evolution, ed. J. E. Hibbard, M. Rupen, J.H. van Gorkom, p. 369
Bland-Hawthorn, J.,& Maloney, P. R. 2002, in ASP Conf. Ser. 254, Extragalactic Gas at Low Redshift, ed. J. S. Mulchaey & J. T. Stocke (San Francisco, CA: PASP), p. 267
Bland-Hawthorn, J., & Cohen, M. 2003, ApJ, 582,246
Bland-Hawthorn, J., Sutherland, R., Agertz, O., & Moore, B. 2007, ApJL, 670, L109
Bland-Hawthorn, J. 2009, IAUS, 254, 241
Bland-Hawthorn, J., Maloney, P., Sutherland, R.S., & Madsen, G.J. 2013, ApJ,778, 58
Blitz, L., Spergel, D.N., Teuben, P.J., Hartmann, D., & Burton, W.B. 1999, ApJ, 514, 818
Bregman, J.N. & Lloyd-Davies, E.J. 2007, ApJ, 669, 990
Bregman, J.N. 2007, ARA&A, 45,221
Braun, R. & Burton, W.B. 1999, A&A, 341, 437
Brooks, A.M, Governato, F., Quinn, T,, Brook, C.B., & Wadsley, J. 2009, ApJ, 694,396
Brüns, C, Kerp, J., Staveley Smith, L., et al. 2005, A&A, 432, 45
Burkert, A., & Lin, D.N.C. 2000, ApJ, 537, 270
Casetti-Dinescu, D.I., Moni Bidin, C., Girard, T.M., et al. 2014, ApJL, 784, L37
Chiappini, C., Matteucci, F., & Romano, D. 2001, ApJ, 554, 1044
Chomiuk, L. & Povich, M.S. 2011, AJ, 142, 197
Collins, J.A., Shull, J.M., & Giroux, M.L. 2003, ApJ, 585, 336
Collins, J.A., Shull, J.M., & Giroux, M.L. 2005, ApJ, 623, 196
Collins, J.A., Shull, J.M., & Giroux, M.L. 2009, ApJ, 705, 962
Connors, T.W., Kawata, D., & Gibson, B.K. 2006, MNRAS, 371, 108
de Heij, V., Braun, R. & Burton, W.B. 2002, A&A, 391, 67
Desert, F.-X., Bazell, D. & Boulanger, F. 1988, ApJ, 334, 815
Desert, F.-X., Bazell, D. & Blitz, L. 1990, ApJ, 355, L51
Dettmar, R.-J. 1990, A&A, 232, L15
Diaz, J D., & Bekki, K. 2011, ApJ, 413, 2015
Diaz, J D., & Bekki, K. 2012, ApJ, 750, 36
Dieter, N.H. 1964, AJ, 79, 288
Di Teodoro, E.M. & Fraternali, F. 2014, A&A, 567, 68
D’Onghia, E. & Fox, A.J. 2016, ARA&A, 54, 363
Elson, E.C., de Blok, W.J.G. & Kraan-Korteweg, R.C. 2011, MNRAS, 411, 200
Fang, T., Marshall, H.L., Lee, J.C., Davis, D.S., & Canizares, C.R. 2002, ApJ, 572, L127
Fang, T., Sembach, K.R., & Canizares, C.R. 2003, ApJ, 586, L49
Fang, T., McKee C.F., Canizares, C.R., & Wolfire, M. 2006, ApJ, 644,174
Fang, T., Bullock, J. & Boylan-Kolchin, M. 2013, ApJ, 762, 20
Fernandez, X., Joung, M. R., & Putman, M. E. 2012, ApJ, 749, 181
Ferriere, K. 2001, RvMP, 73, 103
Ford, H.A., Lockman, F.J, & McClure-Griffiths, N.M. 2010, 722, 367
Fox, A.J., Savage, B.D., Wakker, B.P., et al. 2004, ApJ, 602, 738
Fox, A.J., Wakker, B.P., Savage, B.D., et al. 2005, ApJ, 630, 332
Fox, A.J., Wakker, B.P., Smoker, J.V., et al. 2010, ApJ, 718, 1046
Fox, A.J., Richter, P., Wakker, B.P., et al. 2013, ApJ, 772, 110
Fox, A.J., Wakker, B.P., Barger, A., et al. 2014, ApJ, 787, 147
Fox, A.J., Bordoloi, R., Savage, B.D., et al. 2015, ApJ, 799, L7
Fox, A.J., Lehner, N., Lockman, F.J. et al. 2016, ApJ, 816, L11
Fraternali, F. & Binney, J.J. 2008, MNRAS, 386, 935
Fraternali, F., Marasco, A., Marinacci, F., & Binney, J.J. 2013, ApJL, 764, L21
Fumagalli, M., Prochaska, J.X., Kasen, D., et al. 2011, MNRAS, 418, 1796
Gardiner, L.T. & Noguchi, M. 1996, MNRAS, 278, 191
Gaensler, B.M., Madsen, G.J., Chatterjee, S. & Mao, S.A. 2008, PASA, 25,184
Gibson, B.K., Giroux, M.L., Penton, S.V., et al. 2001, AJ, 122, 3280
Gillmon, K., Shull, J.M., Tumlinson, J., & Danforth, C. 2006, ApJ, 636, 891
Grcevich, J., & Putman, M. E. 2009, ApJ, 696, 385
Gupta, A., Mathur, S., Krongold, Y., Nicastro, F., & Galeazzi, M. 2012, ApJ, 756, L8
Haffner, L.M., Reynolds, R.J., Tufte, S.L., et al. 2003, ApJS, 149, 405
Haffner, L.M., Reynolds, R.J., Babler, B.L., et al. 2016, Proc. AAS, 227, id347
Hartmann, D., & Burton, W. B. 1997, Atlas of Galactic Neutral Hydrogen, (Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press)
Herenz, P., Richter, P., Charlton, J.C., & Masiero, J.R. 2013, A&A, 550, A87
Heitsch, F., & Putman, M. E. 2009, ApJ, 698, 1485
Hernandez, A.K., Wakker, B.P., Benjamin, R.A., et al. 2013, ApJ, 777, 19
Hill, A.S., Haffner, L.M., & Reynolds, R.J. 2009, ApJ, 703, 1832
Houck, J.C. & Bregman, J.N. 1990, ApJ, 352, 506
Hulsbosch, A.N.M. & Wakker, B.P. 1988, A&AS, 75, 191
Hulsbosch, A.N.M. & Raimond, R. 1966, BAN, 18, 413
Jin, S. & Lynden-Bell, D. 2008, MNRAS, 383, 1686
Joung, M.R., Bryan, G.L., & Putman, M.E. 2012a, ApJ, 745, 148
Joung, M.R., Putman, M.E., Bryan, G.L., Fernandez, X., & Peek, J.E.G. 2012b, ApJ, 759, 137
Kalberla, P.M.W., Burton, W.B., Hartmann, D., et al. 2005, A&A, 440, 775
Kalberla, P.M.W. & Kerp, J. 2009, ARA&A, 47, 27
Kaufmann, T., Mayer, L., Wadsley, J., Stadel, J., & Moore, B. 2006, MNRAS, 370, 1612
Kaufmann, T., Bullock, J.S., Maller, A.H., Fang, T., & Wadsley, J. 2009, MNRAS, 396, 191
Kereš, D., Katz, N., Weinberg, D.H,, & Dave, R. 2005, MNRAS, 363,2
Kereš, D., Katz, N., Fardal, M., Davé, R., & Weinberg, D.H. 2009, MNRAS, 395, 160
Kereš, D. & Hernquist, L. 2009, ApJL, 700, L1
Kerp, J., Burton, W.B., Egger, R., et al. 1999, A&A, 342,213
Kuntz, K.D. & Danly, L. 1996, ApJ, 457, 703
Kuntz, K.D. & Snowden, S.L. 2000, ApJ, 543, 195
Kwak, K., Henley, D.B. & Shelton, R.L. 2011, ApJ, 739,30
Larson, R.B. 1972, Nature, 236,21
Lehner N. 2002, ApJ, 578,126
Lehner, N., & Howk, J.C. 2011, Sci, 334, 955
Lehner, N., Howk, J.C., Thom, C., et al. 2012, MNRAS, 424, 2896
Levine, E.S., Blitz, L. & Heiles, C. 2006, ApJ, 643, 881
Lockman, F.J. 2002, ApJL, 580, L47
Lockman, F.J., Murphy, E.M., Petty-Powell, S., & Urick, V.J. 2002, ApJS, 140, 331
Lockman, F.J., Benjamin, R.A., Heroux, A.J., & Langston, G.I. 2008, ApJL, 679, L21
MacLow, M. & Klessen, R. 2004, RvMP, 76, 125
Maller, A.H. & Bullock, J,S. 2004, MNRAS, 355,694
Marasco, A., Marinacci, F., & Fraternali, F. 2013, MNRAS, 433, 1634
Marinacci, F., Binney, J.J., Fraternali, F., et al. 2010, MNRAS, 404, 1464
Mathewson, D.S. 1967, PASA, 1, 21
Mathewson, D.S., Cleary, M.N., & Murray, J.D. 1974, ApJ, 190, 291
Mathur, S., Weinberg, D. H., & Chen, X. 2003, ApJ, 582, 82
McClure-Griffiths, N.M., Staveley-Smith, L, Lockman, F.J., et al. 2008, ApJL, 673, L143
McClure-Griffiths, N.M., Pisano, D.J., Calabretta, M.R., et al. 2009, ApJS, 181, 398
McKernan, B., Yaqoob, T., & Reynolds, C.S. 2004, ApJ, 617, 232
Miller, M.J., & Bregman, J.N. 2013, ApJ, 770, 118
Miller, M.J., & Bregman, J.N. 2015, ApJ, 800, 14
Miller, M.J., Kluck, E.J. & Bregman, J.N. 2016, ApJ, 818, 112
Miville-Deschênes, M.A., Boulanger, F., Reach, W.T. & Noriega-Crespo, A. 2005, ApJ, 631, L57
Mo, H.J., Miralda-Escude, J. 1996, ApJ, 469, 589
Morras, R., Bajaja, E., Arnal, E.M. & Pöppel, W.G.L. 2000, A&AS, 142, 25
Morton, D.C. 2003, ApJS, 149, 205
Muller, C.A., Oort, J.H., & Raimond, E. 1963, C.R. Acad. Sci. Paris, 257, 1661
Münch, G. 1952, PASP, 64, 312
Münch, G. & Zirin, H. 1961, ApJ, 133, 11
Murphy, E.M., Lockman, F.J., & Savage, B.D. 1995, ApJ, 447, 642
Murray, C.E., Stanimirovic, S., McClure-Griffiths, N.M. et al. 2015, ApJ, 808, 41
Nichols, M. & Bland-Hawthorn, J. 2011, ApJ, 732, 17
Nidever, D.L., Majewski, S.R., Butler Burton, W., & Nigra, L. 2010, ApJ, 723, 1618
Nuza, S.E., Parisi, F., & Scannapieco, C., et al. 2014, MNRAS, 441, 2593
Oort, J.H. 1966, BAN, 18, 421
Peebles, P.J.E., Phelps, S.D., Shaya, E.J., & Tully, R.B. 2001, ApJ, 554, 104
Peebles, P.J.E., Tully, R.B., & Shaya, E.J. 2011, preprint (arXiv:1105.5596)
Peek, J.E.G., Putman, M.E., McKee, C.F., Heiles, C., & Stanimirovic, S. 2007, ApJ, 656,907
Peek, J.E.G., Putman, M.E., & Sommer-Larsen, J. 2008, ApJ, 674,227
Peek, J.E.G. 2009, ApJ, 698, 1429
Peek, J.E.G., Heiles, C., Putman, M.E., & Douglas, K. 2009, ApJ, 692, 827
Planck Collaboration.: Abergel, A., Ade, P.A.R., Aghanim, N. et al. 2011, A&A, 536, A24
Prata, S., & Wallerstein, G. 1967, PASP, 79, 202
Putman, M.E., Gibson, B.K., Staveley-Smith, L., et al. 1998, Nature, 394, 752
Putman, M.E., Staveley-Smith, L., Freeman, K.C., Gibson, B.K., & Barnes, D.G. 2003, ApJ, 586, 170
Putman, M.E., Peek, J.E.G., & Joung, M.R. 2012, ARA&A, 50, 491
Rasmussen, A., Kahn, S. M., & Paerels, F. 2003, in ASSL Conf. Proc. 281, The IGM/Galaxy Connection. The Distribution of Baryons at z = 0, ed. J.L. Rosenberg & M.E. Putman (Dordrecht: Kluwer), 109
Rana, N. 1991, ARA&A, 29, 129
Rees, M.J. & Ostriker, J.P. 1977, MNRAS, 179, 541
Reynolds, R.J. 1991, ApJ, 372, L17
Reynolds, R.J., Haffner, L.M., Madsen, G.J., Wood, K.,& Hill, A.S. 2012, EAS, 56, 213
Richter, P., de Boer, K.S., Bomans, D.J., et al. 1999, Nature, 402, 386
Richter, P., Sembach, K.R., Wakker, B.P., et al. 2001a, ApJ, 559, 318
Richter, P., Sembach, K.R., Wakker, B.P., & Savage, B.D. 2001c, ApJ, 562, L181
Richter, P., Savage, B.D., Wakker, B.P., Sembach, K.R., Kalberla, P.M.W. 2001b, ApJ, 549, 281
Richter, P., Sembach, K.R., & Howk, J.C. 2003a, A&A, 405, 1013
Richter, P., Wakker, B.P., Savage, B.D., & Sembach, K.R. 2003b, ApJ, 586, 230
Richter, P. 2006, RvMA 19, 31
Richter, P., Paerels, F.B.S., & Kaastra, J.S. 2008, SSRv, 134, 25
Richter, P., Charlton, J.C., Fangano, A.P.M., Ben Bekhti, N.,& Masiero, J.R. 2009, ApJ, 695, 1631
Richter, P., Krause, F., Fechner, C., Charlton, J.C., & Murphy, M.T. 2011, A&A, 528, A12
Richter, P. 2012, ApJ, 750, 165
Richter, P., Fox, A. J., Wakker, B. P., et al. 2013, ApJ, 772, 111
Richter, P., de Boer, K.S., Werner, K., & Rauch, T. 2015, A&A, 584, L6
Richter, P., Wakker, B.P., Fechner, C., et al. 2016, A&A, 590, A68
Richter, P., Ben Bekhti, N., Nuza, S.E., et al. 2017, A&A, submitted (R17)
Robitaille, T.P., & Whitney, B.A. 2010, ApJL, 710, L11
Röhser, T., Kerp, J., Lenz, D., & Winkel, B. 2016, A&A, 596, A94
Salem, M., Besla, G., Bryan, G., et al. 2015, ApJ, 815, 77
Saul, D.R., Peek, J.E.G., Grcevich, J., et al. 2012, ApJ, 758, 44
Savage, B.D. & Sembach, K.R. 1996, ARA&A, 34, 279
Savage, B.D., Sembach, K.R., Wakker, B.P., et al. 2003, ApJS, 146, 125
Savage, B.D. & Wakker, B.P. 2009, ApJ, 702, 1472
Sellwood, J.A. & Binney, J.J. 2002, MNRAS, 336,785
Sembach, K.R., Howk, J.C., Savage, B.D., & Shull, J.M. 2001, AJ, 121, 992
Sembach, K.R., Wakker, B.P., Savage, B.D., Richter, P. et al. 2003, ApJS, 146, 165
Sembach, K.R., Wakker, B.P., Tripp, T.M. 2004, ApJS, 150, 387
Shapiro, P.R & Field, G.B. 1976, ApJ, 205, 762
Shen, S., Madau, P., Guedes, J., et al. 2013, ApJ, 765, 89
Shull, J.M., Jones, J.R., Danforth, C.W., & Collins, J.A. 2009, 699, 754
Smith, G.P. 1963, BAN, 17, 203
Smoker, J.V., Fox, A.J., & Keenan, F.P. 2011, MNRAS, 415, 1105
Sommer-Larsen, J. 2006, ApJL, 644, L1
Spitzer, L. 1956, ApJ, 124, 40
Springel, V. & Hernquist, L. 2005, ApJ, 622, L9
Stanimirović, S., Dickey, J.M., Krco, M., & Brooks, A.M. 2002, ApJ, 576, 773
Stanimirović, S., Hoffman, S., Heiles, C., et al. 2008, ApJ, 680, 276
Su, M., Slatyer, T.R., & Finkbeiner, D.P. 2010, ApJ, 724, 1044
Tepper-García, T., Bland-Hawthorn, J., & Sutherland, R.S. 2015, ApJ, 813, 94
Thom, C., Putman, M. E., Gibson, B. K., et al. 2006, ApJ, 638, L97
Thom, C., Peek, J. E. G., Putman, M. E., et al. 2008, ApJ, 684, 364
Tripp, T.M., Wakker, B.P., Jenkins, E.B., et al. 2003, AJ, 125, 3122
Tripp, T. M., & Song, L. 2012, ApJ, 746, 173
Tufte, S.L., Reynolds, R.J., & Haffner, L.M. 1998, ApJ, 504, 773
Tufte, S.L., Wilson, J.D., Madsen, G.J., Haffner, L.M., & Reynolds, R.J. 2002, ApJL, 572, L153
van den Bergh, S. 1962, AJ, 67, 486
van de Voort, F., Schaye, J., Booth, C.M., Haas, M.R., & Dalla Vecchia, C. 2011, MNRAS, 414, 2458
van de Voort, F., & Schaye, J. 2012, MNRAS, 423, 2991
van Woerden, H., Schwarz, U.J., Peletier, R.F., Wakker, B.P., & Kalberla, P.M.W. 1999, Nature, 400, 138
van Woerden, H., Wakker, B.P., Schwarz, U.J., & de Boer, K.S. 2004, High Velocity Clouds, (Dordrecht: Kluwer)
Vieser, W. & Hensler, G. 2007, A&A, 475, 251
Vogelsberger, M., Sijacki, D., Keres, D., Springel, V., & Hernquist, L. 2012, MNRAS, 425, 3024
Wakker, B.P., & Boulanger, F. 1986, A&A, 170, 84
Wakker, B.P. & van Woerden, H. 1991, A&A, 250, 509
Wakker, B.P. & van Woerden, H. 1997, ARA&A, 35, 217
Wakker, B.P., Howk, J.C., Savage, B.D. 1999, Nature, 402, 388
Wakker, B.P. 2001, ApJS, 136, 463
Wakker, B.P., Savage, B.D., Sembach, K.R., et al. 2003, ApJS, 146, 1
Wakker, B.P. 2004, in High Velocity Clouds, ed. H. van Woerden, B.P.Wakker, U.J. Schwarz, & K.S. de Boer (Dordrecht: Kluwer), 25
Wakker, B.P. 2006, ApJS, 163, 282
Wakker, B.P., York, D.G., Howk, J.C., et al. 2007, ApJ, 670, L113
Wakker, B.P., York, D.G., Wilhelm, R., et al. 2008, ApJ, 672, 298
Wang Q.D., Yao, Y., Tripp, T.M., et al. 2005, ApJ, 635, 386
Weiner, B., & Williams, T. 1996, AJ, 111, 1156
Weiss, A., Heithausen, A., Herbstmeier, U., & Mebold, U. 1999, A&A, 344, 955
Westmeier, T., Braun, R., Brüns, C., Kerp, J., & Thilker, D.A. 2007, New. Astron. Rev., 51, 108
Westmeier, T. & Koribalski, B.S. 2008, MNRAS, 388, L29
White, S.D.M. & Frenk, C.S. 1991, ApJ, 379, 52
White, S.D.M. & Rees, M.J. 1978, MNRAS, 183, 341
Whiting, A.B. 2014, ApJ, 793, 63
Widmann, H., de Boer, K.S., Richter, P., et al. 1998, A&A, 338, L1
Williams, R.J., Mathur, S., Nicastro, F., et al. 2005, ApJ, 631, 856
Williams, R.J., Mathur, S., Poindexter, S., Elvis, M., & Nicastro, F., 2012, AJ, 143, 82
Winkel, B., Kalberla, P.M.W., Kerp, J., Flöer, L. 2010, ApJS, 188, 488
Winkel, B., Ben Bekhti, N., Darmstädter, V, et al. 2011, A&A, 533, A105
Yao, Y., Nowak, M.A., Wang, Q.D., Schulz, N.S., & Canizares, C.R. 2008, ApJ, 672, L21
Zech, W., Lehner, N., Howk, J.C., Dixon, W., & Brown, T. 2008, ApJ, 679, 460
Zheng, Y., Putman, M.E., Peek, J.E.G., & Joung, M.R. 2015, ApJ, 807, 103
Zwaan, M., van der Hulst, J.M., Briggs, F.H., Verheijen, M.A., & Ryan-Weber, E.V. 2005, MNRAS, 364, 1467
Acknowledgements
The author would like to thank Andy Fox, Matt Haffner, Fabian Heitsch, Jürgen Kerp, and Sebastián Nuza for providing helpful comments and supplementary material for the figures.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2017 Springer International Publishing AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Richter, P. (2017). Gas Accretion onto the Milky Way. In: Fox, A., Davé, R. (eds) Gas Accretion onto Galaxies . Astrophysics and Space Science Library, vol 430. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-52512-9_2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-52512-9_2
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-52511-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-52512-9
eBook Packages: Physics and AstronomyPhysics and Astronomy (R0)