Galactic star formation in parsec-scale resolution simulations
  The interstellar medium (ISM) in galaxies is multiphase and cloudy, with
stars forming in the very dense, cold gas found in Giant Molecular Clouds
(GMCs). Simulating the evolution of an entire galaxy, however, is a
computational problem which covers many orders of magnitude, so many
simulations cannot reach densities high enough or temperatures low enough to
resolve this multiphase nature. Therefore, the formation of GMCs is not
captured and the resulting gas distribution is smooth, contrary to
observations. We investigate how star formation (SF) proceeds in simulated
galaxies when we obtain parsec-scale resolution and more successfully capture
the multiphase ISM. Both major mergers and the accretion of cold gas via
filaments are dominant contributors to a galaxy's total stellar budget and we
examine SF at high resolution in both of these contexts.
