Dynamics of Mergers
I review the dynamics of galaxy mergers, paying particular attention to the triggering of gaseous inflows and onset of ultraluminous activity in galaxies.
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arXiv subjects
Chris Mihos
Publications and source records attributed to Chris Mihos.
The Molecular ISM in Low Surface Brightness Disk Galaxies
We present models for the interstellar medium in disk galaxies. In particular, we investigate whether the ISM in low surface brightness galaxies can support a significant fraction of molecular gas given their low metallicity and surface density. It is found that the abundance and line brightness of CO in LSB galaxies is small and typically below current observational limits. Still, depending on physical details of the ISM, the fraction of gas in the form of molecular hydrogen can be significant in the inner few kpc of a low surface brightness galaxy. This molecular gas would be at temperatures of $\sim$ 30 -- 50 K, rather higher than in high surface brightness galaxies. These results may help explain the star forming properties and inferred evolutionary history of LSB galaxies.
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Triaxial Halos and Cusps
We present $N$--body models for triaxial elliptical galaxies or halos of galaxies, which are fully self--gravitating, have near constant axis ratio as a function of radius and a $r^{-1}$ central density cusp. Preliminary investigation suggests the model are stable and orbit analysis shows no indication of chaotic orbits. The models provide a starting point for investigations into the evolution of triaxial figures of equilibrium, response of triaxial figures to central black holes, external perturbations and interactions.
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Constraining dark halos with tidal tails
Massive and extended dark halos can inhibit the formation of long tidal tails in galaxy collisions. We examine this effect using an extensive survey of simulations with different dark halo potentials to constrain halo properties of interacting galaxies. These constraints are compared to other observational limits and theoretical predictions of halo structure. The dark halos predicted by $Ω=1$ cosmological models like CDM are too massive and extended to produce the long tidal tails seen in nearby galaxy collisions. There is also a conflict with the halo potentials inferred from satellite kinematics; such halos would likewise inhibit tail formation in galaxy collisions.
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Halpha Velocity Mapping of Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies
We use imaging Fabry-Perot observations to explore the dynamical conditions in four southern ultraluminous (L_IR > 10^12 L_sun) infrared galaxies. These galaxies all show morphological and kinematic features indicative of a major merger, but span a wide range of inferred dynamical ages: the youngest system is just past the first encounter, while the oldest has already merged into a single object. This diversity in dynamical states indicates that ultraluminous activity is not confined solely to late-stage mergers. The Halpha emission is more spatially concentrated in the later stage mergers, in agreement with models which show that mergers drive gas inwards towards the nucleus, but high luminosities are achieved even in young interactions where the Halpha is quite extended. Our data indicate that physical details other than the dynamical phase -- such as the internal structure or gas content of the galaxies -- can play a strong role in determining the luminosity evolution of merging galaxies. We also find evidence for massive star-forming complexes at large radius in the tidal debris, reaffirming the notion that some dwarf galaxies may be spawned during the merger of more massive disk galaxies.
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Gasdynamics and Starbursts in Interacting Galaxies
The onset of gaseous inflows and central activity in interacting galaxies is driven largely by induced bars in the host galaxies. The stability of galaxies against growing bar modes is a direct function of their structural properties --- galaxies with central bulges or low disk surface densities are more stable against central starbursts than are bulgeless or disk-dominated systems. Low surface brightness galaxies prove less prone to bar formation and central starbursts than do normal high surface brightness galaxies. This stability of LSB disks also resolves many of the dynamical pitfalls encountered when attempting to link poststarburst "E+A" galaxies to interactions involving normal high surface brightness galaxy progenitors.
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Tidal Tales Two: The Effect of Dark Matter Halos on Tidal Tail Morphology and Kinematics
We examine the effect of different dark matter halo potentials on the morphology and kinematics of tidals tails in a merger model of NGC 7252. We find that models of merging galaxies with low halo masses of Mh = 4-8 M{disk+bulge} (Mdb) can fit the observed morphology and kinematics of the NGC 7252 tails while galaxies with high mass halos (Mh = 16-32 Mdb) fail in this respect. In high mass models, the deep potential only allows weakly bound disk material (stars or gas) at R > 5 disk scale lengths to be ejected in tidal tails which tend to fall back onto the parent galaxies before the final merger. Galaxies with massive, low density halos are somewhat more successful at ejecting tidal debris during mergers, but still have difficulties recreating the thin, gas-rich tails observed in NGC 7252. Our models suggest upper limits for the dark halo masses in the NGC 7252 progenitor galaxies of roughly Mh <= 10 Mdb. We note, however, that our calculations have focused on the rather idealized case of the isolated merging of galaxies with distinct dark matter halos; calculations which employ more realistic (cosmological) initial conditions are needed to fully explore the use of tidal tails in constraining dark matter in galaxies.
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NGC 2442: Tidal Encounters and the Evolution of Spiral Galaxies
Using imaging Fabry-Perot data, we study the star-forming properties and kinematics of the nearby barred spiral galaxy NGC 2442. The Halpha emission is very localized along the strong spiral arms of the galaxy, and shows a marked asymmetry between the sharp, well-defined northern tidal arm and the weaker southern arm. The velocity field appears highly distorted, with a rapidly rotating nuclear component. We find evidence for strong non-circular motions along the northern arm, coincident with the pronounced dust lane and regions of intense star formation. The strong asymmetries, disturbed velocity field, and presence of a perturbed companion suggest that we are witnessing a strong kinematic response to a close interaction, which has redistributed the star formation activity throughout the disk of NGC 2442. Dynamical modeling supports this hypothesis, and suggests that the regions of strongest star formation are coincident with strong shocks occurring along the perturbed northern arm. Despite this redistribution of gas on small scales, this galaxy does not show a significant departure from the Tully-Fisher relation, nor does it appear to be experiencing any strong starburst. Moreover, our models predict that in a few x 10^8 years, NGC 2442 will have recovered from this encounter and will experience another passage -- and ultimately a merger -- in a few Gyr. Given the environment of many disk galaxies, this tidal encounter cycle seems likely to be a normal phase of disk galaxy evolution.
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Dynamical Stability and Environmental Influences in Low Surface Brightness Disk Galaxies
Using analytic stability criteria, we demonstrate that, due to their low surface mass density and large dark matter content, LSB disks are quite stable against the growth of global nonaxisymmetric modes such as bars. However, depending on their (poorly constrained) stellar velocity dispersions, they may be only marginally stable against local instabilities. We simulate a collision between an LSB and HSB galaxy and find that, while the HSB galaxy forms a strong bar, the response of the LSB disk is milder, manifesting weaker rings and spiral features. The lack of sufficient disk self-gravity to amplify dynamical instabilities naturally explains the rarity of bars in LSB disks. The stability of LSB disks may also inhibit interaction-driven gas inflow and starburst activity in these galaxies.
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Dynamical Stability and Galaxy Evolution in LSB Disk Galaxies
We demonstrate that, due to their low surface mass density and large dark matter content, LSB disks are quite stable against the growth of global bar modes. However, they may be only marginally stable against local disk instabilities. We simulate a collision between an LSB and HSB galaxy and find that, while the HSB galaxy forms a strong bar, the response of the LSB disk is milder, in the form of spiral features and an oval distortion. Unlike its HSB counterpart, the LSB disk does not suffer strong inflow of gas into the central regions. The lack of sufficient disk self-gravity to amplify dynamical instabilities makes it difficult to explain strong interaction-driven starbursts in LSB galaxies without invoking mergers.
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Gasdynamics and Starbursts in Major Mergers
Using numerical simulation, we study the development of gaseous inflows and triggering of starburst activity in mergers of comparable-mass disk galaxies. In all encounters studied, the galaxies experience strong gaseous inflows and moderate to intense starburst activity. We find that galaxy structure plays a dominant role in regulating activity. The gaseous inflows are strongest when galaxies with dense central bulges are in the final stages of merging, while inflows in bulgeless galaxies are weaker and occur earlier in the interaction. Orbital geometry plays only a relatively modest role in the onset of collisionally-induced activity. Through an analysis of the torques acting on the gas, we show that these inflows are generally driven by gravitational torques from the host galaxy (rather than the companion), and that dense bulges act to stabilize galaxies against bar modes and inflow until the galaxies merge, at which point rapidly varying gravitational torques drive strong dissipation and inflow of gas in the merging pair. The strongest inflows (and associated starburst activity) develop in co-planar encounters, while the activity in inclined mergers is somewhat less intense and occurs slightly later during the merger. The starbursts which develop in mergers of galaxies with central bulges represent an increase in the star formation rate of two orders of magnitude over that in isolated galaxies. We find that the gaseous and stellar morphology and star-forming properties of these systems provide a good match to those of observed ultraluminous infrared galaxies. Our results imply that the internal structure of the merging galaxies, rather than orbital geometry, may be the key factor in producing ultraluminous infrared galaxies.
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A Merger Origin for X-Structures in S0 Galaxies
Using numerical simulation, we study the response of a disk galaxy to a merger involving a low-mass satellite companion. During a prograde satellite accretion, the disk galaxy forms a strong bar in response to the perturbation of the companion. After the accretion event is over, the bar buckles vertically due to a bending instability, sending disk material well out of the disk plane. The material forms into an X-shaped feature when seen edge-on, morphologically similar to X-structures observed in several S0/Sa galaxies. The mechanism described here unites previously suggested accretion and bar instability hypotheses for forming X-structures into a self-consistent scenario for merger-induced formation and evolution of S0 galaxies. To complement these models, we also present observations of the peculiar S0 galaxy Hickson 87a. The thick disk, isophotal warping, and strong X-structure described in the merger model are all evident in Hickson 87a, suggesting this galaxy may be an excellent example of such merger-induced galaxy evolution.
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Dynamical Modeling of NGC 7252 and the Return of Tidal Material
Motivated by recent neutral hydrogen observations with the VLA, we have undertaken an investigation into the interaction that produced the well known merger remnant NGC 7252. Through fully self-consistent N-body simulations, we are able to reproduce the kinematic character of the HI observations quite well, including the velocity reversals observed along each tidal tail. In the simulation these reversals arise from particles which have turned around in their orbit and are moving to smaller radii. The bases of the tails fall back quickly to small pericentric distances, while the more distant regions fall back more slowly to ever increasing pericentric distances. The delayed return of tidally ejected material may extend over many Gyr. The evolution of this merger is followed numerically for 800 h^-1 Myr beyond the best fit time. We find that nearly half of the present tail material, or of order 10^9 h^-2 of neutral hydrogen and 2x10^9 h^-2 of starlight, will return to within 13 h^-1 kpc of the nucleus within this time span. While the collisionless stars of the tails will continue orbiting between their inner and outer turning points, the observations show the HI gas of the tails disappearing upon its return. We discuss this result in light of the lack of central HI in the main body of this merger remnant.
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Excitation of Activity in Galaxies by Minor Mergers
Mergers between gas--rich disks and less--massive dwarf galaxies are studied using numerical simulation. As the orbit of a satellite decays through dynamical friction, the primary disk develops large-amplitude spirals in response to its tidal forcing. While these features arise in both the stars and the gas in the disk, the non--axisymmetric structures in the gas differ slightly from those in the stars. In particular, as a consequence of the formation of strong shocks in the gas and the effects of radiative cooling, the gas response tends to lead the stellar response, enabling the stars to strongly torque the gas. These torques deprive the gas of its angular momentum, forcing a significant fraction of it into the inner regions of the disk. The radial inflows induced by these mergers accumulate large quantities of interstellar gas in the nuclear regions of the host disks. In some cases, nearly half of all the gas initially distributed throughout the disk winds up in a dense ``cloud'' several hundred parsecs in extent. The models reported here do not include star formation and, so, we cannot determine the ultimate fate of the gas. Nevertheless, given the high densities in the nuclear gas, it is plausible to identify these concentrations of dense gas in the remnants with those accompanying intense starbursts in some active galaxies. Therefore, the calculations here provide a framework for interpreting the origin of nuclear activity in otherwise quiescent disk galaxies. To the extent that galaxy formation is a chaotic process in which large structures are built up by the accretion of smaller fragments, our models may also be relevant to starbursts and the onset of nuclear activity in proto--galaxies at high redshifts.
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Morphology of Galaxy Mergers at Intermediate Redshift
Using a combination of numerical simulation and synthesized Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Camera 2 (HST WFC2) images, we follow the detectability of morphological signatures of disk galaxy mergers at intermediate redshifts z=0.4 and z=1.0. Rapid evolution in the surface brightness of tidal tails makes their use as an interaction signature limited; long tidal tails will only be detectable relatively early in the encounter, before the galaxies actually merge. Violent relaxation rapidly smooths isophotal irregularities after the galaxies merge, leaving the very low surface brightness tidal debris surrounding the remnant as the only sign of peculiarity after a few hundred Myr. This debris becomes indistinguishable from the main body of the remnant after 0.5 (z=1.0) to 1 (z=0.4) Gyr, leaving a morphologically normal elliptical galaxy behind. Using WFC1, all signatures become undetectable almost immediately once the galaxies merge, due to the aberrated PSF. We interpret these results in light of recent HST programs investigating the nature of starburst and E+A galaxies in moderate redshift clusters.
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Dense Stellar Cores in Merger Remnants
We use numerical models which include star formation to analyze the mass profiles of remnants formed by mergers of disk galaxies. During a merger, dissipation in gas and ensuing star formation leave behind a dense stellar core in the remnant. Rather than joining smoothly onto a de Vaucouleurs profile, the starburst population leads to a sharp break in the surface density profile at a few percent the effective radius. While our results are preliminary, the lack of such signatures in most elliptical galaxies suggests that mergers of gas-rich disk galaxies may not have contributed greatly to the population of present-day ellipticals.
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Star Forming Galaxy Models: Blending Star Formation into TREESPH
We have incorporated star formation algorithms into a hybrid N-body/smoothed particle hydrodynamics code (TREESPH) in order to describe the star forming properties of disk galaxies over timescales of a few billion years. The models employ a Schmidt law of index $n\sim 1.5$ to calculate star formation rates, and explicitly include the energy and metallicity feedback into the ISM. Modeling the newly formed stellar population is achieved through the use of hybrid SPH/young star particles which gradually convert from gaseous to collisionless particles, avoiding the computational difficulties involved in creating new particles. The models are shown to reproduce well the star forming properties of disk galaxies, such as the morphology, rate of star formation, and evolution of the global star formation rate and disk gas content. As an example of the technique, we model an encounter between a disk galaxy and a small companion which gives rise to a ring galaxy reminiscent of the Cartwheel (AM 0035-35). The primary galaxy in this encounter experiences two phases of star forming activity: an initial period during the expansion of the ring, and a delayed phase as shocked material in the ring falls back into the central regions.
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Ultraluminous Starbursts in Major Mergers
We use numerical simulation to investigate the triggering of starbursts in merging disk galaxies. The properties of the merger-driven starbursts are sensitive to the structure of the progenitor galaxies; specifically, to the amount of material in a dense central bulge. Galaxies without bulges develop bars shortly after their first close passage, driving significant gas inflow and subsequent starbursts in the centers of the galaxies. These starbursts significantly deplete the star-forming gas, so that only relatively weak starbursts arise during the final merger. By contrast, models of galaxies with central bulges show that a bulge acts to stabilize the galaxies against inflow and starbursts until the galaxies actually merge. At this time, strong dissipation leads to the formation of a massive central gas mass and an ensuing star formation rate two orders of magnitude greater than that in our isolated disk models. These starbursts are very short in duration, typically $\sim$ 50 Myr, suggesting that the rarity of ultraluminous infrared galaxies is a result of their being in a very short evolutionary phase, rather than special and rare formation conditions. The fact that these mergers display many of the properties of ultraluminous infrared galaxies -- tidal features, double nuclei, massive compact gas concentrations, and extreme levels of starburst activity -- suggests that merger-driven starbursts can explain the emission from many ultraluminous infrared galaxies without an active nucleus.
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