AGN jets in a clumpy Interstellar Medium
The interstellar medium (ISM) of galaxies is complex and structured, the densities and temperatures vary over more than 5 orders of magnitude. The formation of stars, however, takes place only in the densest and coolest clouds that are gravitationally unstable and collapse. In the past, studies of jet feedback have ignored this clumpy structure of the ISM for computational reasons. Only a few years ago, this has become feasible in 3D simulations (Sutherland ∧ Bicknell, 2007). The clumpy structure of the gas qualitatively changes the interaction of the jet with the ISM due to the strong interaction with the densest clumps.
In Gaibler, Krause & Khochfar (2011) we examined, how a powerful jet interacts with the clumpy ISM of a gas-rich galaxy (such as the ones observed at redshifts 2-3). More information on this can be found on the jet - disk interaction page.
Our subsequent study, Gaibler, Krause, Khochfar & Silk (2012), included a star formation model and hence allowed us to examine how formation of stars in such galaxies is affected by the activity of AGN jets. More details on the jet - disk - star formation page.
The strong interaction of the jet with the quiescent, clumpy gas disk is shown in the movie below, which I created for my presentation at the 2013 annual meeting of the Astronomische Gesellschaft in Tübingen. It shows a volume rendering of gas density and the formation of a cavity in the center along with a strong compression of gas around it. This should result in rings of strongly increased star formation (as seen on the jet - disk - star formation page).
Visualization was in part done with VAPOR.