Orbital and Structural Evolution of Triaxial Galaxies.

Details Orbital and Structural Evolution of Triaxial Galaxies. Orbital and Structural Evolution of Triaxial Galaxies.

Dec 1999

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1999aas...195.0703h&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, 195th AAS Meeting, #07.03; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 31, p.1378

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

Scientific paper

The shape of many elliptical galaxies may be significantly triaxial. Even a mildly triaxial potential has profound effects on the orbital content of the stars and dark matter, creating entire families of orbits which do not exist in the spherical regime. However, since the intrinsic shape of the elliptical is dictated by the time average of its orbital content, the shape of the galaxy may change with time, or with radius, as the stellar orbits respond to a changing potential. For example, the boxlike orbits that strongly characterize a triaxial galaxy may undergo stochastic evolution with the addition of a central mass - forcing the system into an axisymmetric one. We use numerical simulations of realistic, self-consistent triaxial galaxies to determine the degree to which the growth of a massive central black hole drives the dynamical evolution of these systems. We compare cuspy Hernquist models with and without a central black hole. We analyze the evolution of structural properties and the stability of orbit families as a function of time and radius. This work has been sponsored by a grant from the NASA Astrophysics Theory Program (NAG5-7019).

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Orbital and Structural Evolution of Triaxial Galaxies. 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 Orbital and Structural Evolution of Triaxial Galaxies., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Orbital and Structural Evolution of Triaxial Galaxies. will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1735778