arXiv subjects

D. Pfenniger

Publications and source records attributed to D. Pfenniger.

23 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv1995

Stellar Dynamics and the 3D Structure of Bars

Recent observational constraints restrict the strict applicability of stellar dynamics in spirals to a few rotation periods. However, stellar dynamics concepts such as periodic orbits are invaluable for understanding the various dynamical processes occurring during much more periods. A distinction of two instability types in stellar systems is pointed out, the first one being well illustrated by the bar instability, and the second one by the bar bending instability. In bars the third dimension brings essential dynamical effects which modify the views about the history of bulges and the spiral secular evolution. Bars may grow, bend, thicken, and dissolve into spheroidal bulges, and spirals may evolve along the Hubble sequence in the sense Sd$\to$Sa. This leads to a much more dynamical picture of isolated galaxies than imagined before.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1994

Fractal Cold Gas as Dark Matter in Galaxies and Clusters

The conjecture that dark matter in galaxies is mostly cold fractal gas is developed in the more general context of the thermodynamics of the ideal isothermal gas subject to gravitational instability. This simple gas model already contains the contrary ingredients able to prevent an asymptotic equilibrium: any growing gravothermal singularity evaporates in a finite time, and any tendency to uniform gas is gravitationally unstable. The paradox is simply resolved by allowing fractal states, which are then scale-free and steady {\it in average}, but non-differentiable and time-dependent. If we apply to clusters the lessons learned with galaxies, we are led to the conclusion that gas in clusters at a temperature much below the virial temperature should also adopt a fractal structure and become inhomogeneous. The same instrumental biases acting at galactic scale and preventing the detection of the smallest and coldest sub-resolution clumps in the fractal are then even more relevant for cluster gas measurements. The large baryonic mass observed in the cluster hot gas and the morphology-density relation suggest also gaseous dark matter in spirals. If this dark gas component remains undetected in spirals, the same instrumental biases should hold in clusters, where cooling hot gas disappears from detection near the centre.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1994

News on Dark Matter in Galaxies and Clusters

Major progresses have been made this last year towards a better knowledge of the invisible mass. Michel Spiro will talk in details about the micro-lensing experiments and their promising results; the ROSAT satellite has provided extended X-ray maps of the hot gas, which traces dark matter in galaxy clusters: they reveal lower amounts of dark matter in clusters than was previously derived; the dark to visible mass in clusters is not larger than its value in spiral galaxies. It was shown, by X-ray data and gravitational lenses analysis that the dark matter density is highly peaked towards the cluster centers. A new dark matter candidate has also been proposed, in the form of cold and fractal molecular gas that could be present around most late-type spiral galaxies and account for the observed flat rotation curves.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1993

Is Dark Matter in Spiral Galaxies Cold Gas? I. Observational Constraints and Dynamical Clues About Galaxy Evolution

Based on dynamical constraints about the Hubble sequence evolution, observational data and a number of "conspiracies", we propose that the dark matter around spiral galaxies is in the form of cold gas, essentially in molecular form and rotationally supported. (full A&A paper (in press) available by anonymous ftp at obssd8.unige.ch in /pub/fractal as postscript file: dm_paper_I.ps (170k), or papers I & II + figures as a compressed tar file dm_papers.Z.tar (2.1 Mb)).

astro-ph↗

arXiv1993

Is Dark Matter in Spiral Galaxies Cold Gas? II. Fractal Models and Star Non-Formation

Gas cloud models taking into account the recently disclosed fractal structure of cold gas are set up, showing that large errors in the classical gas mass determination based on smooth cloud models can easily follow if the gas is in reality fractal. Fractal clouds must present both optically thin and optically thick clumps in any single wavelength observations. The observed fractal dimension of the cold ISM suggests that mass underestimates by a factor 10 or more are typical. Due to its low temperature (around 3 K), and its condensed fractal structure, together with its low metallicity, the outer gas would be almost invisible for usual detectors. (A&A paper (in press) and figures available by anonymous ftp at obssd8.unige.ch in /pub/fractal as postscript file: dm_paper_II.ps (251k) and FIG*.ps, or papers I & II + figures as a compressed tar file dm_papers.Z.tar (2.1 Mb)).

astro-ph↗