Two Disk Components from a Gas Rich Disk-Disk Merger

Details Two Disk Components from a Gas Rich Disk-Disk Merger Two Disk Components from a Gas Rich Disk-Disk Merger

2006-11-23

arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0611748v1

Astrophys.J.658:60-64,2007

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

10 pages, 1 color figure. Accepted for publication in ApJ

Scientific paper

10.1086/511056

We employ N-body, smoothed particle hydrodynamical simulations, including detailed treatment of chemical enrichment, to follow a gas-rich merger which results in a galaxy with disk morphology. We trace the kinematic, structural and chemical properties of stars formed before, during, and after the merger. We show that such a merger produces two exponential disk components, with the older, hotter component having a scale-length 20% larger than the later-forming, cold disk. Rapid star formation during the merger quickly enriches the protogalactic gas reservoir, resulting in high metallicities of the forming stars. These stars form from gas largely polluted by Type II supernovae, which form rapidly in the merger-induced starburst. After the merger, a thin disk forms from gas which has had time to be polluted by Type Ia supernovae. Abundance trends are plotted, and we examine the proposal that increased star formation during gas-rich mergers may explain the high alpha-to-iron abundance ratios which exist in the relatively high-metallicity thick disk component of the Milky Way.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Two Disk Components from a Gas Rich Disk-Disk Merger 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 Two Disk Components from a Gas Rich Disk-Disk Merger, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Two Disk Components from a Gas Rich Disk-Disk Merger will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-539655