Orbital dynamics of three-dimensional bars: II. Investigation of the parameter space

Abstract

We investigate the orbital structure in a class of 3D models of barred galaxies. We consider different values of the pattern speed, of the strength of the bar and of the parameters of the central bulge of the galactic model. The morphology of the stable orbits in the bar region is associated with the degree of folding of the x1-characteristic. This folding is larger for lower values of the pattern speed. The elongation of rectangular-like orbits belonging to x1 and to x1-originated families depends mainly on the pattern speed. The detailed investigation of the trees of bifurcating families in the various models shows that major building blocks of 3D bars can be supplied by families initially introduced as unstable in the system, but becoming stable at another energy interval. In some models without radial and vertical 2:1 resonances we find, except for the x1 and x1-originated families, also families related to the z-axis orbits, which support the bar. Bifurcations of the x2 family can build a secondary 3D bar along the minor axis of the main bar. This is favoured in the slow rotating bar case.