Formation of stellar inner discs and rings in spiral galaxies through minor mergers

Recent observations show that inner disks and rings (IDs and IRs) are not preferentially found in barred galaxies, pointing to the relevance of formation mechanisms different to the traditional bar-origin scenario. Nevertheless, the role of minor mergers in the formation of these inner components (I...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Eliche Moral, María del Carmen, González García, A. C., Balcells, M., Aguerri, J.A.L., Gallego Maestro, Jesús, Zamorano Calvo, Jaime, Prieto Matías, Manuel
Tipo de recurso: capítulo de libro
Fecha de publicación:2013
País:España
Institución:Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM)
Repositorio:Docta Complutense
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:docta.ucm.es:20.500.14352/36000
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/36000
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:52
Astrofísica
Astronomía (Física)
Descripción
Sumario:Recent observations show that inner disks and rings (IDs and IRs) are not preferentially found in barred galaxies, pointing to the relevance of formation mechanisms different to the traditional bar-origin scenario. Nevertheless, the role of minor mergers in the formation of these inner components (ICs), while often invoked, is still poorly understood. We have investigated the capability of minor mergers to trigger the formation of IDs and IRs in spiral galaxies through collisionless N-body simulations. Our models prove that minor mergers are an efficient mechanism to form rotationally-supported stellar ICs in spirals, neither requiring strong dissipation nor noticeable bars, and suggest that their role in the formation of ICs must have been much more complex than just bar triggering.