Trapp et al., available on arXiv

Abstract: Fueling star formation in large, disky galaxies, requires a continuous supply of gas accreting into star-forming regions. Previously, we characterized this accretion in 4 Milky Way mass galaxies (Mhalo~10^12 Msun) in the FIRE-2 cosmological zoom-in simulations, focusing on runs with cosmic ray physics. At z~0, gas within the inner circumgalactic medium (iCGM) approaches the disk with comparable angular momentum (AM) to the disk edge, joining in the outer half of the gaseous disk. Within the disk, gas moves inward at velocities of ∼1-5 km/s while fully rotationally supported. In this study, we analyze the torques that drive these flows. In all cases, we find that the torques in disks enable gas accreted near the disk edge to transport inwards and fuel star formation in the central few kpc. The primary sources of torque come from gravity, hydrodynamical forces, and the sub-grid PdV work done by supernova (SNe) remnants interacting with gas on <~10 pc scales. These SNe remnant interactions provide a major source of torque on the gas, inducing negative torques within the inner disk and positive torques in the outer disk. The gas-gas gravitational, hydro, and "feedback" torques all transfer AM outward to where accreting gas is joining the disk, playing an important role in driving inflows and regulating disk structure. Gravitational torques from stars and dark matter provide an AM sink within the innermost regions of the disk and iCGM, respectively. Torques from viscous shearing, magnetic forces, stellar winds, and radiative transfer are largely insignificant.