Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
2005-03-15
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics - Final version after language edition
Scientific paper
10.1051/0004-6361:20052631
We quantify the degree of lopsidedness for a sample of 149 galaxies observed in the near-infrared from the OSUBGS sample, and try to explain the physical origin for the observed disk lopsidedness. We confirm previous studies, but now for a larger sample, that a large fraction of galaxies show significant lopsidedness in their stellar disks, measured as the Fourier amplitude of the m=1 component, normalised to the average or m=0 component, in the surface density. Late-type galaxies are found to be more lopsided, while the presence of m=2 spiral arms and bars is correlated. The m=1 amplitude is found to be uncorrelated with the tidal forces acting on a galaxy via nearby companions. Numerical simulations are carried out to study the generation of m=1 via different processes: galaxy tidal encounters, galaxy mergers, and external gas accretion and subsequent star formation. The simulations show that galaxy interactions and mergers can trigger strong lopsidedness, but do not explain several independent statistical properties of observed galaxies. To explain all the observational results, it is required that a large fraction of lopsidedness results from cosmological accretion of gas on galactic disks, which can create strongly lopsided disks when this accretion is asymmetrical enough.
Bournaud Frederic
Combes François
Jog Chanda J.
Puerari Ivanio
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