Mushroom-Shaped Structures as Tracers of Buoyant Flow in the Galactic Disk

Abstract

Recent HI emission observations of the Southern Galactic hemisphere have revealed a mushroom-like structure extending from z=-70 to -450 pc, composed of a stem and a cap. Similar structures occur in three-dimensional simulations of a dynamic galactic disk driven by isolated and clustered supernovae. Using these simulations, we show that hot gas in the Galactic disk that is not evacuated through chimneys expands into the cooler gas of the thick disk, forming mushroom-shaped structures. This new class of objects traces buoyant flow of hot gas into the thick disk.