2000MNRAS.315..479D

The results of a three-dimensional model for disc-halo interaction are presented here. The model considers explicitly the input of energy and mass by isolated and correlated supernovae in the disc. Once disrupted by the explosions, the disc never returns to its initial state. Instead it approaches a state where a thin Hi disc is formed in the Galactic plane, overlaid by thick Hi and Hii gas discs with scaleheights of 500pc and 1-1.5kpc, respectively. The upper parts of the thick Hii disc (the diffuse ionized medium) act as a disc-halo interface, and its formation and stability are directly correlated to the supernova rate per unit area in the simulated disc.