Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Jan 1990
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1990aj.....99...71s&link_type=abstract
Astronomical Journal (ISSN 0004-6256), vol. 99, Jan. 1990, p. 71-83.
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
28
Disk Galaxies, Interacting Galaxies, Star Formation, Stellar Motions, Stellar Orbits, Active Galactic Nuclei, Astronomical Models, Many Body Problem, Morphology
Scientific paper
Interacting galaxies show a variety of exotic morphologies besides the well-known rings, spirals, and bars. It is proposed that many of these can be identified with nonlinear, caustic structures that are known from singularity theory to be generic in collisionless dynamics. A simple kinematical model for stellar orbits is used to study the development of caustic waveforms in galaxy disks following impulsive, nonaxially symmetric (collisional) disturbances. It appears that all of the caustics known from singularity theory to be generic in two dimensions develop as transient forms in at least some moderately off-center collisions. The more complex, higher-order caustics appear most prominently in the more off-center and larger amplitude disturbances. It is further suggested that the highly nonlinear caustic waves may play an important role in interaction-induced star formation.
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