arXiv subjects

E. Athanassoula

Publications and source records attributed to E. Athanassoula.

At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources

arXiv2003

Orbital dynamics of three-dimensional bars: IV. Boxy isophotes in face-on views

We study the conditions that favour boxiness of isodensities in the face-on views of orbital 3D models for barred galaxies. Using orbital weighted profiles we show that boxiness is in general a composite effect that appears when one considers stable orbits belonging to several families of periodic orbits. 3D orbits that are introduced due to vertical instabilities, play a crucial role in the face-on profiles and enhance their rectangularity. This happens because at the 4:1 radial resonance region we have several orbits with boxy face-on projections, instead of few rectangular-like x1 orbits, which, in a fair fraction of the models studied so far, are unstable at this region. Massive bars are characterized by rectangular-like orbits. However, we find that it is the pattern speed that affects most the elongation of the boxy feature, in the sense that fast bars are more elongated than slow ones. Boxiness in intermediate distances between the center of the model and the end of the bar can be attributed to x1v1 orbits, or to a combination of families related to the radial 3:1 resonance.

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arXiv2003

Numerical simulations of interacting gas-rich barred galaxies. Vertical impact of small companions

We investigate the dynamical effects of an interaction between an initially barred galaxy and a small spherical companion using an N-body/SPH algorithm. In the models described here the small companion passes through the disc of the larger galaxy near-perpendicular to its plane. The impact positions and times are varied with respect to the phase of the bar and the dynamical evolution of the disc. The interactions produce expanding ring structures, offset bars, spokes,and other asymmetries in the stars and gas. These characteristic signatures of the interaction are present in the disc for about 1 Gyr. We find that in some cases it is possible to destroy the bar while keeping the disc structure. In general the central impacts cause larger damage to the bar and the disc than the peripheral ones. The interaction tends to accelerate the transition from a strongly barred galaxy to a weakly or non-barred galaxy. The final disc morphology is determined more by the impact position relative to the bar rather than the impact time.

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arXiv2002

Comparing peanut-shaped `bulges' to N-body simulations and orbital calculations

We present a near-infrared K_n-band photometric study of edge-on galaxies with a box/peanut-shaped `bulge'. The morphology of the galaxies is analysed using unsharp masking and fits to the vertical surface brightness profiles, and the results are compared to N-body simulations and orbital calculations of barred galaxies. Both theoretical approaches reproduce the main structures observed.

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arXiv2002

Formation and evolution of bars in disc galaxies

I follow a bar from its formation, via its evolution, to its destruction and, perhaps, regeneration. I discuss the main features at each stage and particularly the role of the halo. Bars can form even in sub-maximum discs. In fact, such bars can be stronger than bars which have grown in maximum discs. This is due to the response of the halo and, in particular, to the exchange of energy and angular momentum between the disc particles constituting the bar and the halo particles at resonance with it. The bar slowdown depends on the initial central concentration of the halo and the initial value of the disc Q. Contrary to the halo mass distribution, the disc changes its radial density profile considerably during the evolution. Applying the Sackett criterion, I thus find that discs become maximum in many simulations in which they have started off as sub-maximum. I briefly discuss the evolution if a gaseous component is present, as well as the destruction and regeneration of bars.

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arXiv2002

Orbital dynamics of three-dimensional bars: III. Boxy/Peanut edge-on profiles

We present families, and sets of families, of periodic orbits that provide building blocks for boxy and peanut (hereafter b/p) edge-on profiles. We find cases where the b/p profile is confined to the central parts of the model and cases where a major fraction of the bar participates in this morphology. A b/p feature can be built either by 3D families associated with 3D bifurcations of the x1 family, or, in some models, even by families related with the z-axis orbits and existing over large energy intervals. The {\sf `X'} feature observed inside the boxy bulges of several edge-on galaxies can be attributed to the peaks of successive x1v1 orbits (Skokos et al. 2002a, hereafter paper I), provided their stability allows it. However in general, the x1v1 family has to overcome the obstacle of a S\ar\D\ar S transition in order to support the structure of a b/p feature. Other families that can be the backbones of b/p features are x1v4 and z3.1s. The morphology and the size of the boxy or peanut-shaped structures we find in our models is determined by the presence and stability of the families that support b/p features. The present study favours the idea that the observed edge-on profiles are the imprints of families of periodic orbits that can be found in appropriately chosen Hamiltonian systems, describing the potential of the bar.

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arXiv2002

Edge-on boxy profiles in non-barred disc galaxies

Boxy edge-on profiles can be accounted for not only in models of barred galaxies, but also in models of normal (non-barred) galaxies. Thus, the presence of a bar is not a sine qua non condition for the appearance of this feature, as often assumed. We show that a `boxy' or a `peanut' structure in the central parts of a model is due to the presence of vertical resonances at which stable families of periodic orbits bifurcate from the planar x1 family. The orbits of these families reach in their projections on the equatorial plane a maximum distance from the center, beyond which they increase their mean radii by increasing only their deviations from the equatorial plane. The resulting orbital profiles are `stair-type' and constitute the backbone for the observed boxy structures in edge-on views of $N$-body models and, we believe, in edge-on views of disc galaxies. Since the existence of vertical resonances is independent of barred or spiral perturbations in the disc, `boxy' profiles may appear also in almost axisymmetric cases.

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arXiv2002

Star formation in the warped outer pseudoring of the spiral galaxy NGC 3642

NGC 3642 was classified as a spiral galaxy with three rings and no bar. We have performed an HI and optical study of this nearly face-on galaxy. We find that the nuclear ring might in fact be part of an inner one-armed spiral, that could be driving nuclear accretion and feeding the central activity in the inner kpc. The inner ring is faint, and the outer ring is a rather ill-defined pseudoring. Furthermore, the size ratio of the rings is such that they cannot be due to a single pattern speed linking them together. The outer pseudoring is peculiar, since it lies in the faint outer parts of the disk, where star formation is still going on at 1.4 times the optical radius. Higher HI column densities are associated with these regions and the atomic gas layer is warped. These perturbations affect only the outer disk, since the kinematics within the main body conforms well to an ordinary differentially rotating disk. We propose here that both nuclear activity and star formation in the warped outer parts might be linked to the fact that NGC 3642 is located in a rich environment, where its close neighbors show clear signs of merging. Our suggestion is that NGC 3642 has captured recently a low-mass, gas-rich dwarf, and star formation was triggered in this infalling external gas that produced also a pronounced warp in the gaseous disk.

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arXiv2002

Scaling up Tides in Numerical Models of Galaxy- and Halo-Formation

The purpose of this article is to show that when dynamically cold, dissipationless self-gravitating systems collapse, their evolution is a strong function of the symmetry in the initial distribution. We explore with a set of pressure-less homogeneous fluids the time-evolution of ellipsoidal distributions and map the depth of potential achieved during relaxation as function of initial ellipsoid axis ratios. We then perform a series of $N$-body numerical simulations and contrast their evolution with the fluid solutions. We verify an analytic relation between collapse factor ${\cal C}$ and particle number $N$ in spherical symmetry, such that ${\cal C} \propto N^{1/3}$. We sought a similar relation for axisymmetric configurations, and found an empirical scaling relation such that ${\cal C} \propto N^{1/6}$ in these cases. We then show that when mass distributions do not respect spherical- or axial-symmetry, the ensuing gravitational collapse deepens with increasing particle number $N$ but only slowly: 86% of triaxial configurations may collapse by a factor of no more than 40 as $N\to\infty$. For $N\approx 10^5$ and larger, violent relaxation develops fully under the Lin-Mestel-Shu instability such that numerical $N$-body solutions now resolve the different initial morphologies adequately.

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arXiv2002

Analysis of the distribution of HII regions in external galaxies. IV The new galaxy sample. Position and Inclination angles

We have compiled a new sample of galaxies with published catalogs of HII region coordinates. This sample, together with the former catalog of Garcia-Gomez and Athanassoula (1991) will form the basis for subsequent studies of the spiral structure in disc galaxies. In this paper we address the problem of the deprojection of the galaxy images. For this purpose we use two deprojection methods based on the HII region distribution and compare the results with the values found in the literature using other deprojection methods. Taking into account the results of all the methods, we propose optimum values for the position and inclination angles of all the galaxies in our sample.

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arXiv2002

Orbital dynamics of three-dimensional bars: I. The backbone of 3D bars. A fiducial case

In this series of papers we investigate the orbital structure of 3D models representing barred galaxies. In the present introductory paper we use a fiducial case to describe all families of periodic orbits that may play a role in the morphology of three-dimensional bars. We show that, in a 3D bar, the backbone of the orbital structure is not just the x1 family, as in 2D models, but a tree of 2D and 3D families bifurcating from x1. Besides the main tree we have also found another group of families of lesser importance around the radial 3:1 resonance. The families of this group bifurcate from x1 and influence the dynamics of the system only locally. We also find that 3D orbits elongated along the bar minor axis can be formed by bifurcations of the planar x2 family. They can support 3D bar-like structures along the minor axis of the main bar. Banana-like orbits around the stable Lagrangian points build a forest of 2D and 3D families as well. The importance of the 3D x1-tree families at the outer parts of the bar depends critically on whether they are introduced in the system as bifurcations in $z$ or in $\dot{z}$.

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arXiv2002

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

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.

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arXiv2002

Bar-Halo Interaction and Bar Growth

I show that strong bars can grow in galactic discs, even when the latter are immersed in haloes whose mass within the disc radius is comparable to, or larger than, the mass of the disc. I argue that this is due to the response of the halo and in particular to the destabilising influence of the halo resonant stars. Via this instability mechanism the halo can stimulate, rather than restrain, the growth of the bar.

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arXiv2002

Dynamical evolution driven by bars and interactions : Input from numerical simulations

We discuss the evolution of a disc galaxy due to the formation of a bar and, subsequently, a peanut. After the formation stage there is still considerable evolution, albeit slower. In purely stellar cases the pattern speed of the bar decreases with time, while its amplitude grows. However, if a considerable gaseous component is present in the disc, the pattern speed may increase with time, while the bar strength may decrease. In some cases the gas can be brought sufficiently close to the center to create a strong central concentration, which, in turn, may modify the properties of the bar. More violent evolution can take place during interactions, so that some disc substructures can be either formed or destroyed in a time scale which is small compared to a Hubble time. These include spirals, bars, bridges, tails, rings, thick discs and bulges. In some cases interactions may lead to mergings. We briefly review comparisons of the properties of merger remnants with those of elliptical galaxies, both for the case of pairwise mergings and the case of multiple mergings.

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arXiv2001

Isolated and Interacting Galaxies : Simulations with GRAPE

I present N-body simulations of isolated and interacting galaxies, made on GRAPE machines. In particular I discuss the formation and evolution of N-body bars and compare their properties to those of bars in early-type and late-type galactic discs. I argue that the halo can help the bar grow, contrary to previous beliefs, by taking positive angular momentum from it via its resonant stars. I then focus on the interaction and subsequent merging of a barred disc galaxy with a spheroidal satellite. The evolution depends strongly on the mass (density) of the satellite and may lead to its destruction or to the destruction of the bar.

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arXiv2001

New Results on Bar-Halo Interactions

In this paper I argue that, far from necessarily hindering bar formation in disc galaxies, inner haloes may stimulate it. This constitutes a new instability mechanism by which bars can grow. To show this I use a number of N-body simulations whose initial conditions have identical discs and more or less concentrated haloes. They show that the bar that grows in the more halo-dominated environment is considerably stronger than the bar that grows in the more disc-dominated environment. This result is obtained from simulations with live haloes, i.e. composed of particles which respond to the disc and take part in the evolution. On the other hand, if the halo is rigid, it hinders or quenches bar formation, as expected. Comparison of two simulations which are identical in everything, except that the halo is live in the first one and rigid in the second one, leads me to suggest that the halo response can help the bar grow. Following the orbits of the stars in the halo, I find that a considerable fraction of the halo particles are in resonance with the bar. The halo may thus take angular momentum from the bar and stimulate its growth. I finally discuss whether and how the results of the N-body simulations can be applied to real galaxies.

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arXiv2001

Morphology, photometry and kinematics of N-body bars. I Three models with different halo central concentrations

We discuss the morphology, photometry and kinematics of the bars which have formed in three N-body simulations. These have initially the same disc and the same halo-to-disc mass ratio, but their haloes have very different central concentrations. The third model includes a bulge. The bar in the model with the centrally concentrated halo (model MH) is much stronger, longer and thinner than the bar in the model with the less centrally concentrated halo (model MD). Its shape, when viewed side-on, evolves from boxy to peanut and then to X-shaped, as opposed to that of model MD, which stays boxy. The projected density profiles obtained from cuts along the bar major axis, both for the face-on and the edge-on views, show a flat part, as opposed to those of model MD which are falling rapidly. A Fourier analysis of the face-on density distribution of model MH shows very large m = 2, 4, 6 and 8 components. Contrary to this for model MD the components m = 6 and 8 are negligible. The velocity field of model MH shows strong deviations from axial symmetry, and in particular has wavy isovelocities near the end of the bar when viewed along the bar minor axis. When viewed edge-on, it shows cylindrical rotation, which the MD model does not. The properties of the bar of the model with a bulge and a non-centrally concentrated halo (MDB) are intermediate between those of the bar of the other two models. All three models exhibit a lot of inflow of the disc material during their evolution, so that by the end of the simulations the disc dominates over the halo in the inner parts, even for model MH, for which the halo and disc contributions were initially comparable in that region.

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arXiv2001

Relaxation times calculated from angular deflections

In this paper we measure the two-body relaxation time from the angular deflection of test particles launched in a rigid configuration of field particles. We find that centrally concentrated configurations have relaxation times that can be shorter than those of the corresponding homogeneous distributions by an order of magnitude or more. For homogeneous distributions we confirm that the relaxation time is proportional to the number of particles. On the other hand centrally concentrated configurations have a much shallower dependence, particularly for small values of the softening. The relaxation time increases with the inter-particle velocities and with softening. The latter dependence is not very strong, of the order of a factor of two when the softening is increased by an order of magnitude. Finally we show that relaxation times are the same on GRAPE-3 and GRAPE-4, dedicated computer boards with limited and high precision respectively.

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arXiv2000

The effect of a cusped matter distribution on the formation of brightest cluster members

We present N-body simulations of galaxy groups embedded in a common halo of matter. We study the influence of the different initial conditions upon the evolution of the group and show that denser configurations evolve faster, as expected. We then concentrate on the influence of the initial radial density profile of the common halo and of the galaxy distribution. We select two kinds of density distributions, a singular profile (modeled by a Hernquist distribution) and a profile with a flat core (modeled by a Plummer sphere). In all cases we witness the formation of a central massive object due to mergings of individual galaxies and to accretion of stripped material, but both its formation history and its properties depend heavily on the initial distribution. In Hernquist models the formation is due to a ``burst'' of mergings in the inner parts, due to the large initial concentration of galaxies in the center. The merging rate is much slower in the initial phases of the evolution of a Plummer distribution, where the contribution of accretion to the formation of the central object is much more important. The central objects formed within Plummer distributions have projected density profiles which are not in agreement with the radial profiles of observed brightest cluster members, unless the percentage of mass in the common halo is small. On the contrary the central object formed in initially cusped models has projected radial profiles in very good agreement with those of brightest cluster members, sometimes also showing luminosity excess over the $r^{1/4}$ law in the outer parts, as is observed in cD galaxies.

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