The Formation of Disk Galaxies

Abstract

We present a scenario for the formation of disks which explains not only the properties of normal galaxies, but the properties of the population of low surface brightness galaxies (LSBs) as well. We use a gravitationally self-consistent model for disk collapse to calculate the observable properties of disk galaxies as a function of mass and angular momentum of the initial protogalaxy. The model naturally produces smooth, asymptotically flat rotation curves, exponential surface brightness profiles over many disk scale lengths, the Tully-Fisher relation as a function of surface brightness, the observed distribution of scale lengths and surface brightnesses, and the variation of rotation curve shapes. In the model, low mass and/or high angular momentum halos naturally form low surface brightness disks. Theoretical and numerical calculations suggest galaxy halos should form with a wide range of mass and angular momenta, and thus, the disks which form within these halos should have a wide range of surface brightnesses and scale lengths. We use the formalism to calculate the expected change in the observed luminosity function (LF) and luminosity density as a function of limiting surface brightness. Current measurements of the LF may by off by factors of 2 at L*. [SHORTENED]