Energy and angular momentum transfer in binary galaxies

Abstract

The authors numerically studied tidal effects of a massive perturber on a satellite galaxy. The model consists of a spherical satellite galaxy and a point mass perturber and the encounter is non-penetrating. A wide range of density ratios and eccentricities of the relative orbits have been considered. The disruption of the satellite galaxy has been observed when the numerical value of the fractional change in the energy is greater than two. The changes in the energy and angular momentum show smooth variation in the case of unbound orbits and irregular variation in the bound orbit cases. It is shown that for a constant pericentral distance, increasing the density ratio decreases the tidal effects; and for a given density ratio an increase in the eccentricity decreases the tidal effects.