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On the relation between the Schmidt and Kennicutt-Schmidt star formation laws and its implications for numerical simulations

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Joop Schaye, Claudio Dalla Vecchia (Leiden)

Astrophysics · Submitted 3 Sep 2007

abstract compiled · 2026-09-23 · no language-model review

The authors' main claim On the other hand, the fact that we can reproduce arbitrary input thresholds and KS laws, rather than just the particular ones picked out by nature, indicates that simulations that lack the physics and/or resolution to simulate the multiphase interstellar medium can only provide limited insight into the origin of the observed star formation laws.

how it is stated · hedged possibility 0.93 read the record →

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arXiv ID0709.0292 (version 2)
Pith IDISKU2ADR, Pith's permanent record of this paper and its review
CitationClaudio Dalla Vecchia (Leiden), Joop Schaye. "On the relation between the Schmidt and Kennicutt-Schmidt star formation laws and its implications for numerical simulations." arXiv:0709.0292 (2007). https://pith.science/paper/ISKU2ADR
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The compiled record

The paper's own sentences, arranged. Each label is drawn from a closed vocabulary; the number beside it is the probability the classifier gave that label. Numbers in the tables are the authors', checked by code. No sentence in this record was written by a model.

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Compiled by classifier-1.13-20260917 via OpenRouter, question bank abstract-p1-20260923, 2026-09-23: 1 request, 7,609 input tokens, $0.0003 reported.

What the abstract itself states, as probabilities: claims first 0.04 · states limitation 0.95 · human participants 0.01 · controlled comparison 0.05 · randomized assignment 0.01 · states quantitative result 0.10 · compares with prior results 0.26 · mentions code or data availability 0.03.

The abstract, sentence by sentence

arXiv listing abstract v2. Results and the main claim are underlined; .

When averaged over large scales, star formation in galaxies is observed to follow the empirical Kennicutt-Schmidt (KS) law for surface densities above a constant threshold. While the observed law involves surface densities, theoretical models and simulations generally work with volume density laws (i.e. Schmidt laws). We derive analytic relations between star formation laws expressed in terms of surface densities, volume densities, and pressures and we show how these relations depend on parameters such as the effective equation of state of the multiphase interstellar medium. Our analytic relations enable us to implement observed surface density laws into simulations. Because the parameters of our prescription for star formation are observables, we are not free to tune them to match the observations. We test our theoretical framework using high-resolution simulations of isolated disc galaxies that assume an effective equation of state for the multiphase interstellar medium. We are able to reproduce the star formation threshold and both the slope and the normalisation of arbitrary input KS laws without tuning any parameters and with very little scatter, even for unstable galaxies and even if we use poor numerical resolution. Moreover, we can do so for arbitrary effective equations of state. Our prescription therefore enables simulations of galaxies to bypass our current inability to simulate the formation of stars. On the other hand, the fact that we can reproduce arbitrary input thresholds and KS laws, rather than just the particular ones picked out by nature, indicates that simulations that lack the physics and/or resolution to simulate the multiphase interstellar medium can only provide limited insight into the origin of the observed star formation laws.

background contribution method result interpretation main claim

What the classifier reports for each sentence. The number is the probability it gave the label.
#sentencerolethe authors' own workstates the main conclusionstrength
s0 When averaged over large scales, star formation in galaxies is observed to follow the empirical Kennicutt-Schmidt (KS) law for surface densities above a constant threshold. background 1.00 0.06 0.03 asserted 1.00
s1 While the observed law involves surface densities, theoretical models and simulations generally work with volume density laws (i.e. Schmidt laws). background 0.90 0.04 0.02 asserted 1.00
s2 We derive analytic relations between star formation laws expressed in terms of surface densities, volume densities, and pressures and we show how these relations depend on parameters such as the effective equation of state of the multiphase interstellar medium. contribution 0.94 0.95 0.10 asserted 1.00
s3 Our analytic relations enable us to implement observed surface density laws into simulations. contribution 0.80 0.82 0.12 asserted 0.94
s4 Because the parameters of our prescription for star formation are observables, we are not free to tune them to match the observations. limitation 0.42 0.54 0.05 asserted 1.00
s5 We test our theoretical framework using high-resolution simulations of isolated disc galaxies that assume an effective equation of state for the multiphase interstellar medium. method 0.97 0.94 0.04 asserted 0.96
s6 We are able to reproduce the star formation threshold and both the slope and the normalisation of arbitrary input KS laws without tuning any parameters and with very little scatter, even for unstable galaxies and even if we use poor numerical resolution. result 1.00 0.96 0.36 asserted 0.99
s7 Moreover, we can do so for arbitrary effective equations of state. result 1.00 0.92 0.10 asserted 0.97
s8 Our prescription therefore enables simulations of galaxies to bypass our current inability to simulate the formation of stars. interpretation 0.94 0.75 0.40 asserted 0.96
s9 On the other hand, the fact that we can reproduce arbitrary input thresholds and KS laws, rather than just the particular ones picked out by nature, indicates that simulations that lack the physics and/or resolution to simulate the multiphase interstellar medium can only provide limited insight into the origin of the observed star formation laws. interpretation 0.85 0.73 0.53 hedged possibility 0.93

What kind of paper the classifier reports this is: theoretical result 0.62 · evidence from simulation or computation 0.84.

What was examined, and what was not

sources read
  • arXiv listing abstract v2
not examined
  • full text
  • figures and tables
  • references and citing sentences
  • relations to other papers
levels run
  • P abstract
not run
  • S sections
  • T body sentences
  • C citations
  • R cross-paper relations

Every quoted sentence on this record is the authors'. Every label is from Pith's closed vocabulary, with the probability shown beside it. Every number in the measurements table is the authors', checked by code. Record as JSON

The paper
Original abstract

When averaged over large scales, star formation in galaxies is observed to follow the empirical Kennicutt-Schmidt (KS) law for surface densities above a constant threshold. While the observed law involves surface densities, theoretical models and simulations generally work with volume density laws (i.e. Schmidt laws). We derive analytic relations between star formation laws expressed in terms of surface densities, volume densities, and pressures and we show how these relations depend on parameters such as the effective equation of state of the multiphase interstellar medium. Our analytic relations enable us to implement observed surface density laws into simulations. Because the parameters of our prescription for star formation are observables, we are not free to tune them to match the observations. We test our theoretical framework using high-resolution simulations of isolated disc galaxies that assume an effective equation of state for the multiphase interstellar medium. We are able to reproduce the star formation threshold and both the slope and the normalisation of arbitrary input KS laws without tuning any parameters and with very little scatter, even for unstable galaxies and even if we use poor numerical resolution. Moreover, we can do so for arbitrary effective equations of state. Our prescription therefore enables simulations of galaxies to bypass our current inability to simulate the formation of stars. On the other hand, the fact that we can reproduce arbitrary input thresholds and KS laws, rather than just the particular ones picked out by nature, indicates that simulations that lack the physics and/or resolution to simulate the multiphase interstellar medium can only provide limited insight into the origin of the observed star formation laws.

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References
How later papers used it

267 later papers cite it

Evidence: substantial. 160 of the citing papers share no author with it, and 89 of those carry a confident label from Pith's citation classifier.

Pith read 40 of the 345 citing sentences, choosing only those whose citation markers point at this paper alone, and wrote the paraphrases from them. The summary, the counts, the evidence level, the links and the quotes come from code; the summary counts the papers listed below. A later paper is listed under a label when Pith's citation classifier gives one of its sentences that label at probability 0.8 or more (0.95 for support), Pith's reading finds that the citing paper itself did it, and a second check confirms the paraphrase against the sentence. This section lists uses only. It does not list criticism or disagreement, so their absence here says nothing about how the paper has been received. Papers that share an author with this one are listed apart, under "By the same authors". A quote is the citing authors' own sentence, shown when their paper's licence is CC BY, CC BY-SA or CC0. JSON

Uses its method or tool 36 of 162 papers with this label · 18 by the same authors

By the same authors

How the literature uses it

22 arXiv papers cite this in 26 sentences

Each citing sentence is taken from the citing paper's LaTeX source and typed by Pith's classifier. A label appears at probability 0.8 or more (0.95 for support), a contest at 0.7 or more; the quoted words are the citing authors'. How each label was checked · JSON

Papers citing it · 8 sentences without a confident label

Uses its method or tool 13 papers
Cites it as background 3 papers

What it cites · 2 sentences without a confident label

Cites as support 1 paper

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