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At least 37 records · Page 2

A collisional model for the formation of ripples in early-type disk galaxies

Restricted three-body calculations of high-inclination low-impact-parameter encounters between a disk galaxy and its companion are used to demonstrate that the shell-like ripples noted in a number of disk galaxies are also collisional artifacts. It is suggested that some of the ripples may be the results of internal oscillations following such encounters. It is assumed that the target is an early-type disk with a sufficiently low gas fraction that recent star formation does not dominate the appearance of the disturbed disk.

Wallin, John F.↗

A Full Accounting of the Visible Mass in SDSS MaNGA Disk Galaxies

We present a study of the ratio of visible mass to total mass in spiral galaxies to better understand the relative amount of dark matter present in galaxies of different masses and evolutionary stages. Using the velocities of the Hα emission line measured in spectroscopic observations from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) MaNGA Data Release 17 (DR 17), we evaluate the rotational velocity of over 5500 disk galaxies at their 90% elliptical Petrosian radii, R 90 . We compare this to the velocity expected from the total visible mass, which we compute from the stellar, H i, H 2 , and heavy metals and dust masses. H 2 mass measurements are available for only a small subset of galaxies observed in SDSS MaNGA DR17, so we derive a parameterization of the H 2 mass as a function of absolute magnitude in the r band using galaxies observed as part of SDSS DR7. With these parameterizations, we calculate the fraction of visible mass within R 90 that corresponds to the observed velocity. Based on statistically analyzing the likelihood of this fraction, we conclude that the null hypothesis (no dark matter) cannot be excluded at a confidence level better than 95% within the visible extent of the disk galaxies. We also find that when all mass components are included, the ratio of visible to total mass within the visible extent of star-forming disk galaxies increases with galaxy luminosity.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Intermediate-mass Early-type Disk Galaxies in the Virgo Cluster. II. Near-Infrared Spectra and Evidence for Differences in Evolution

We discuss near-infrared (NIR) slit spectra of six early-type disk galaxies in the Virgo Cluster that were examined previously at visible/red wavelengths. Despite having similar intrinsic luminosities, colors, and morphologies, the NIR spectrophotometric properties of these galaxies indicate that they are not a homogeneous ensemble differing only in terms of luminosity-weighted age and metallicity. While the depth of the CO(2,0) band is consistent with the centers of these galaxies having solar or slightly sub-solar luminosity-weighted metallicities, galaxy-to-galaxy variations in the depth of the Na i 2.21 μm doublet are found, with Na i2.21 μm lines in three galaxies (NGC 4491, NGC 4584, and NGC 4620) that are deeper than those predicted for a solar chemical mixture and a solar-neighborhood mass function. In contrast, the Ca i2.26 μm triplet shows good galaxy-to-galaxy agreement but tends to be deeper than the model prediction. Considering the depth of the NaD lines, the deep Na i2.21 μm lines are tentatively attributed to a bottom-heavy mass function. This is counter to observed trends between mass function slope and velocity dispersion, and so the possibility of a super-solar [Na/Fe] is also discussed. Two of the three galaxies with deep Na i 2.21 μm (NGC 4584 and NGC 4620) have Sérsic exponents that are consistent with a classical bulge. As for NGC 4491, its central NIR spectrum contains prominent emission lines. The relative strengths of Brγ and H{sub 2}S(1), the presence of [Fe ii] emission, and the mid-infrared spectral-energy distribution are all consistent with intense recent star formation near the center of that galaxy. The NIR spectrum of NGC 4584 is devoid of line emission in the NIR, suggesting that star formation does not power the emission detected at visible wavelengths from that galaxy. Wavelengths that contain the Ballick–Ramsey C{sub 2} band at 1.76 μm are matched by moderately metal-poor E-MILES model spectra with an age of 2 Gyr. The radial age trends in these galaxies are in the opposite sense to those in late-type disk galaxies, and it is concluded that they have evolved in a cluster environment for at least several Gyr.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Dynamical experiments on models of colliding disk galaxies

Collisions between galaxies can induce large morphological changes in the participants and, in the case of colliding disk galaxies, bridges and tails are often formed. Observations of such systems indicate a wide variation in color (see Larson and Tinsley, 1978) and that some of the particpants are experiencing enhanced rates of star formation, especially in their central regions (Bushouse 1986, 1987; Kennicutt et al., 1987, Bushouse, Lamb, and Werner, 1988). Here the authors describe progress made in understanding some of the dynamics of interacting galaxies using N-body stellar dynamical computer experiments, with the goal of extending these models to include a hydrodynamical treatment of the gas so that a better understanding of globally enhanced star formation will eventually be forthcoming. It was concluded that close interactions between galaxies can produce large perturbations in both density and velocity fields. The authors measured, via computational experiments that represent a galaxy's stars, average radial velocity flows as large as 100 km/sec and 400 percent density increases. These can occur in rings that move outwards through the disk of a galaxy, in roughly homologous inflows toward the nucleus, and in off center, non-axisymmetric regions. Here the authors illustrate where the gas is likely to flow during the early stages of interaction and in future work they plan to investigate the fate of the gas more realistically by using an N-body/Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics code to model both the stellar and gaseous components of a disk galaxy during a collision. Specifically, they will determine the locations of enhanced gas density and the strength and location of shock fronts that form during the interaction.

Gerber, Richard A.↗

Numerical simulations of interacting disk galaxies

Galaxy-galaxy interactions have long attracted many extragalactic astronomers in various aspects. A number of computer simulations performed in the 1970s have successfully reproduced the peculiar morphologies observed in interacting disk galaxies and clarified that tidal deformation explains most of the observed global peculiarities. However, most of these simulations have used test particles in modelling the disk component. Tidal response of a self-gravitating disk remains to be further clarified. Another topic which is intensely discussed at present is the relation between galaxy-galaxy interactions and activity. Many observations suggest that interactions trigger strong starbursts and possibly active galactic nuclei (AGN). However, the detailed mechanism of triggering is not yet clear. It is vital here to understand the dynamics of interstellar gas. In order to understand various phenomena related to galaxy-galaxy interactions (mainly for disk galaxies), the author performed a series of numerical simulations on close galaxy encounters which includes both interstellar gas and self-gravitating disk components. In these simulations, the galaxy model to be perturbed (target galaxy) consists of a halo and a disk. The halo was treated as a rigid spherical gravitational field which is assumed to remain fixed during the interaction. The disk is composed of stars and gas. The stellar disk was constructed by 20000 collisionless particles of the same mass. Those particles move in the halo gravitational field, interacting with each other and with the perturber. Therefore, the self-graviy of the disk is properly taken into account. Stellar particles were initially given circular velocities with small random motions required to stabilize the disk against local axisymmetric disturbances. The gravitational field of the stellar disk was calculated by the particle-mesh scheme (e.g. Hockney and Eastwood 1981). The gaseous component was modelled by the cloud-particle scheme (e.g. Roberts and Hausman 1984). Here, the authors represent the gas as an ensemble of small spheres (i.e. clouds) and include the creation of an OB star in a cloud-cloud collision and subsequent velocity push on nearby clouds due to a supernova explosion.

Noguchi, Masafumi↗

Cluster tidal fields: Effects on disk galaxies

A variety of observations of galaxies in clusters indicate that the gas in these galaxies is strongly affected by the cluster environment. We present results of a study of the dynamical effects of the mean cluster tidal field on a disk galaxy as it falls into a cluster for the first time on a bound orbit with constant angular momentum (Valluri 1992). The problem is studied in the restricted 3-body framework. The cluster is modelled by a modified Hubble potential and the disk galaxy is modelled as a flattened spheroid.

Valluri, Monica↗

The Morphology of Low Surface Brightness Disk Galaxies

Images of a sample of low surface brightness (LSB) disk galaxies are presented. These galaxies are generally late types; however, they are not dwarfs, being intrinsically large and luminous. The morphology of LSB galaxies is discussed in terms of the physical interpretation of the Hubble sequence, the stages of which are found to be nonlinear in the sense that smaller physical differences separate mid to early type spirals than late types.

extragalactic astronomy↗

Computer experiments on the effect of retrograde stars in disk galaxies

Using large-scale N-body calculations for flat disk galaxies, we examine the effect of reversing the angular momentum for various fractions of the stars upon the global bar-forming mode. The initial conditions for these simulations are based on stationary states of two classes of models: the isochrones studied recently by Kalnajs by means of linear theory, and a model resembling the Schmidt model of our own Galaxy. In both cases, as the fraction of retrograde stars is increased, the growth of the bar-forming mode is inhibited (although not eliminated). These N-body results for the isochrones agree with the predictions of linear theory, quantitatively as well as qualitatively.

Zang, T. A.↗

The Chocolate Chip Cookie Model: Dust Geometry of Milky Way–like Disk Galaxies

We present a new two-component dust geometry model, the Chocolate Chip Cookie model, where the clumpy nebular regions are embedded in a diffuse stellar/interstellar medium disk, like chocolate chips in a cookie. By approximating the binomial distribution of the clumpy nebular regions with a continuous Gaussian distribution and omitting the dust scattering effect, our model solves the dust attenuation process for both the emission lines and stellar continua via analytical approaches. Our Chocolate Chip Cookie model successfully fits the inclination dependence of both the effective dust reddening of the stellar components derived from stellar population synthesis and that of the emission lines characterized by the Balmer decrement for a large sample of Milky Way–like (MW-like) disk galaxies selected from the main galaxy sample of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Our model shows that the clumpy nebular disk is about 0.55 times thinner and 1.6 times larger than the stellar disk for MW-like galaxies, whereas each clumpy region has a typical optical depth of τ cl,V ~ 0.5 in the V band. After considering the aperture effect, our model prediction on the inclination dependence of dust attenuation is also consistent with observations. Not only that, in our model, the dust attenuation curve of the stellar population naturally depends on the inclination, and its median case is consistent with the classical Calzetti law. As the modeling constraints are from the optical wavelengths, our model is unaffected by the optically thick dust component, which however could bias the model's prediction of the infrared emissions.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Statistical-mechanical selection of the shapes of disk galaxies

A new method is proposed for selecting steady state shapes of disk galaxies as 'most probable states' of a large number of stars, given only the total energy and total angular momentum. A partial differential equation is derived for the mean gravitational potential; it is closely related to the 'sinh-Poisson' equation for the mean-field description of a line vortex system or electrostatic guiding-center plasma. A 'water bag' approximation to the distribution function for bound stars renders the equation analytically tractable, but accurate solution of it may require numerical integration, in view of its general nonlinearity.

Montgomery, David↗

ROSAT observations of quiescent low mass disk galaxies: No evidence of baryonic blow out

To test the hypothesis that galactic winds associated with star formation in low mass disk galaxies can be an effective means of relocating cold disk gas to a warm tenuous halo, we have obtained long exposure ROSAT Position Sensitive Proportional Counter (PSPC) observations of three such galaxies. The sensitivity of the PSPC to the presence of an extended, approximately 0.15 KEV halo of 10(exp 9) solar mass of gas, is quite high for the exposure times we used. We failed to detect this halo in all three cases and the observed x-ray luminosity of the galaxy is two orders of magnitude less than the hypothetical case in which the mass of gas that has been expelled by previous generations of star formation is equal to the stellar mass of the galaxy itself. This limit is much less than the actual mass of cold gas in these galaxies. Thus, we were unable to verify directly the presence of significant galactic winds in these three galaxies either because they are not operative, because their halos are not sufficiently massive to aid in the retention of this gas, or because the amount of injected gas is just a small percentage of the cold disk gas. If the latter reason is emblematic of low mass galaxies then we would not expect the detection of halos. We also report here the serendipitous detection of Abell 1560, a distance class 7 cluster of unknown redshift.

Bothun, Gregory D.↗

Large scale interstellar gasdynamics in disk galaxies

The dynamical behavior of interstellar gas in spiral arm potentials and the nature of H I warps in disk galaxies is reviewed. Recent millimeter wave interferometry results of M 51, which are supportive in detail of a density wave structure for this galaxy are discussed. It is argued that spiral arms, when present, must be an important triggering mechanism for star formation, even though global star formation rates are insensitive to spiral structure. The effect of the unusual velocity shear fields near spiral arms on the development of small disturbances is discussed. The success of recent investigations treating H I warps as a discrete normal mode of a combined disk-halo system is highlighted. In this picture, the axes of the halo and the disk are misaligned, and warping modes correspond to what would be a zero frequency trivial tilt of the entire disk in the absence of a halo.

Balbus, Steven A.↗

On the origin of the 40-120 micron emission of galaxy disks: A comparison with H-alpha fluxes

A comparison of 40 to 120 micron Infrared Astronomy Satellite (IRAS) fluxes with published H alpha and UBV photometry shows that the far infrared emission of galaxy disks consists of at least two components: a warm one associated with OB stars in HII-regions and young star-forming complexes, and a cooler one from dust in the diffuse, neutral interstellar medium, heated by the more general interstellar radiation field of the old disk population (a cirrus-like component). Most spiral galaxies are dominated by emission from the cooler component in this model. A significant fraction of the power for the cool component must originate with non-ionizing stars. For a normal spiral disk there is a substantial uncertainty in a star formation rate derived using either the H alpha or the far infrared luminosity.

Persson, Carol J. Lonsdale↗

The High Fraction of Thin Disk Galaxies Continues to Challenge ΛCDM Cosmology

Any viable cosmological framework has to match the observed proportion of early- and late-type galaxies. In this contribution, we focus on the distribution of galaxy morphological types in the standard model of cosmology (Lambda cold dark matter, ΛCDM). Using the latest state-of-the-art cosmological ΛCDM simulations known as Illustris, IllustrisTNG, and EAGLE, we calculate the intrinsic and sky-projected aspect ratio distribution of the stars in subhalos with stellar mass M * > 10 10 M ⊙ at redshift z = 0. There is a significant deficit of intrinsically thin disk galaxies, which however comprise most of the locally observed galaxy population. Consequently, the sky-projected aspect ratio distribution produced by these ΛCDM simulations disagrees with the Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey and Sloan Digital Sky Survey at ≥12.52σ (TNG50-1) and ≥14.82σ (EAGLE50) confidence. The deficit of intrinsically thin galaxies could be due to a much less hierarchical merger-driven build-up of observed galaxies than is given by the ΛCDM framework. It might also arise from the implemented sub-grid models, or from the limited resolution of the above-mentioned hydrodynamical simulations. We estimate that an 8 5 times better mass resolution realization than TNG50-1 would reduce the tension with GAMA to the 5.58σ level. Finally, we show that galaxies with fewer major mergers have a somewhat thinner aspect ratio distribution. Given also the high expected frequency of minor mergers in ΛCDM, the problem may be due to minor mergers. In this case, the angular momentum problem could be alleviated in Milgromian dynamics because of a reduced merger frequency arising from the absence of dynamical friction between extended dark matter halos.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

The varieties of symmetric stellar rings and radial caustics in galaxy disks

Numerical, restricted three-body and analytic calculations are used to study the formation and propagation of cylindrically symmetric stellar ring waves in galaxy disks. It is shown that such waves can evolve in a variety of ways, depending on the amplitude of the perturbation and the potential of the target galaxy. Rings can thicken as they propagate outward, remain at a nearly constant width, or be pinched off at large radii. Multiple, closely spaced rings can result from a low-amplitude collision, while an outer ring can appear well-separated from overlapping inner rings or an apparent lens structure in halo-dominated potentials. All the single-encounter rings consist of paired fold caustics. The simple, impulsive, kinematic oscillation equations appear to provide a remarkably accurate model of the numerical simulations. Simple analytic approximations to these equations permit very good estimates of oscillation periods and amplitudes, the evolution of ring widths, and ring birth and propagation characteristics.

Struck-Marcell, Curtis↗