Other
Scientific paper
Jan 1993
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1993egte.conf..240s&link_type=abstract
In NASA. Ames Research Center, The Evolution of Galaxies and Their Environment p 240-241 (SEE N93-26706 10-90)
Other
Astronomical Models, Interacting Galaxies, Ring Galaxies, Star Formation, Collisions, Gravitational Effects, Gravitational Fields, Hydrodynamics, Rotation, Simulation
Scientific paper
Recent observations of this famous ring galaxy, including optical and near-infrared CCD surface photometry, and VLA radio continuum and 21 cm line mapping (Higdon 1992b, in prep.), have inspired a renewed modeling effort. Toomre's (1978, in The Large-scale Structure of the Universe, eds. Longair and Einasto) series of restricted three-body simulations demonstrated how the multiple rings could be produced in a nearly head-on galaxy collision. New models with a halo-dominated potential based on the 21 cm rotation curve are able to reproduce such details as the spacing between rings, ring widths, offset of the nucleus, and several kinematical features, thus providing strong support for the collisional theory. The new observations have shown there are little or no old stars in Cartwheel; it may consist almost entirely of gas and stars produced as a result of compression in the ring wave. To model this process Smooth Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) simulations of the Cartwheel disk have been performed. Fixed gravitational potentials were used to represent the Cartwheel and a roughly 30 percent mass collision partner. The interaction dynamics was treated as in the usual restricted three-body approximation, and the effects of local self-gravity between disk particles were calculated. We are particularly interested in testing the theory that enhanced star formation in waves is the result of gravitational instability in the compressed region (see e.g. Kennicutt 1989, ApJ 344, 685). The gas surface density in a number of simulations was initialized to a value slightly below the threshold for local gravitational instability throughout most of the disk. The first ring wave produces relatively modest compressions (a factor of order a few), triggering instability in a narrow range of wavelengths. Self-gravity in the disk is calculated over a comparable range of scales. Simulations were run with isothermal, adiabatic, and adiabatic with radiative cooling characterized by a relatively short timescale. The isothermal approximation is good except in the vicinity of the strong second (inner) ring, and several snapshots from one case are shown in the figure below. Flocculent spiral segments are present before the collision, and these are compressed into dense knots in the ring wave. These knots are likely to be sites of vigorous star formation. In the strong rarefaction behind the outer ring most of the knots are radially stretched and sheared, giving rise to spoke-like features.
No associations
LandOfFree
Models of the Cartwheel ring galaxy: Spokes and starbursts does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.
If you have personal experience with Models of the Cartwheel ring galaxy: Spokes and starbursts, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Models of the Cartwheel ring galaxy: Spokes and starbursts will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1259933