Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
Aug 1988
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1988apj...331...71s&link_type=abstract
Astrophysical Journal, Part 1 (ISSN 0004-637X), vol. 331, Aug. 1, 1988, p. 71-101.
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
36
Galactic Structure, Oblate Spheroids, Orbit Decay, Star Distribution, Stellar Motions, Stellar Orbits, Asphericity, Circular Orbits, Decay Rates, Star Formation
Scientific paper
A model with an oblate potential of Stäckel form is used to calculate the result of the decay of a small satellite galaxy into a larger aspherical system. It is found that, neglecting rotation and velocity anisotropy of the main galaxy, as well as its back-reaction to the satellite, the orbit of the satellite decays toward a general (i.e., nonplanar) thin tube. The tendency toward thinness is significantly greater in systems having steeper density profiles. The main result of this study is that the latitudinal turning point ν0 remains nearly constant through most of the decay, so that the initial inclination of the orbit is remembered. A simple model for tidal stripping is included to show explicitly that the loss of stars from the satellite produces a boxy configuration in the final galaxy. The main utility of this model is as a mechanism for producing boxy elliptical galaxies. It is found that a satellite having ≡1% of the luminosity of the main galaxy can account for the amount of boxiness seen in most cases.
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