Galactic spiral generation in tidal encounters Conferences

abstract

• AbstractThe existence of grand design spiral galaxies in the universe is still a standing problem. The passage of a small companion is known to be able to induce spiral structures in disc galaxies, but there remains questions over how relevant this mechanism is to the galaxies observed in the real universe. Our study aims to address two key points regarding such interactions; the limiting mass companion needed to drive tidal spiral structures, and the differences between the resulting gas and stellar morphology. We find the minimum mass of a companion to be as low as 5% of the stellar mass of the galaxy, and that the arms formed in the gas and the stars display very minor dynamical and morphological differences.

authors

• Pettitt, Alex R
• Tasker, Elizabeth J
• Wadsley, James

status

• published 

publication date

• August 2015

has subject area

• 0201 Astronomical and Space Sciences (FoR)

published in

• Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union  Journal

presented at event

• 315th Symposium of the International-Astronomical-Union  Conference

keywords

• Astronomy & Astrophysics
• ISM: kinematics and dynamics
• Physical Sciences
• Science & Technology
• galaxies: interactions
• galaxies: spiral
• galaxies: structure
• hydrodynamics
• methods: numerical

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

• 10.1017/s1743921316008280

International Standard Book Number (ISBN) 13

• 978-1-107-13520-8

volume

• 11

issue

• S315