Galaxy Zoo: Mergers – Dynamical models of interacting galaxies (original) (raw)
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Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
We have constructed merger trees for galaxies in the Illustris Simulation by directly tracking the baryonic content of subhalos. These merger trees are used to calculate the galaxy-galaxy merger rate as a function of descendant stellar mass, progenitor stellar mass ratio, and redshift. We demonstrate that the most appropriate definition for the mass ratio of a galaxy-galaxy merger consists in taking both progenitor masses at the time when the secondary progenitor reaches its maximum stellar mass. Additionally, we avoid effects from `orphaned' galaxies by allowing some objects to `skip' a snapshot when finding a descendant, and by only considering mergers which show a well-defined `infall' moment. Adopting these definitions, we obtain well-converged predictions for the galaxy-galaxy merger rate with the following main features, which are qualitatively similar to the halo-halo merger rate except for the last one: a strong correlation with redshift that evolves as $\sim (1+...
Galaxy merger morphologies and time-scales from simulations of equal-mass gas-rich disc mergers
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2008
A key obstacle to understanding the galaxy merger rate and its role in galaxy evolution is the difficulty in constraining the merger properties and time-scales from instantaneous snapshots of the real universe. The most common way to identify galaxy mergers is by morphology, yet current theoretical calculations of the time-scales for galaxy disturbances are quite crude. We present a morphological analysis of a large suite of GADGET N-Body/hydro-dynamical equal-mass gas-rich disc galaxy mergers which have been processed through the Monte-Carlo radiative transfer code SUNRISE. With the resulting images, we examine the dependence of quantitative morphology (G, M 20 , C, A) in the SDSS g-band on merger stage, dust, viewing angle, orbital parameters, gas properties, supernova feedback, and total mass. We find that mergers appear most disturbed in G − M 20 and asymmetry at the first pass and at the final coalescence of their nuclei, but can have normal quantitative morphologies at other merger stages. The merger observability time-scales depend on the method used to identify the merger as well as the gas fraction, pericentric distance, and relative orientation of the merging galaxies. Enhanced star formation peaks after and lasts significantly longer than strong morphological disturbances. Despite their massive bulges, the majority of merger remnants appear disc-like and dusty in g-band light because of the presence of a low-mass star-forming disc.
Probing the star–formation modes in merging galaxies
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union, 2012
Merging systems at low redshift provide the unique opportunity to study the processes related to star formation in a variety of environments that presumably resemble those seen at higher redshifts. Previous studies of distant starbursting galaxies suggest that stars are born in turbulent gas, with a higher efficiency than in MW-like spirals. We have investigated in detail the turbulent-driven regime of star-formation in nearby colliding galaxies combining high resolution VLA B array H i maps and UV GALEX observations. With these data, we could check predictions of our state-of-the-art simulations of mergers, such as the global sharp increase of the fraction of dense gas, as traced by the SFR, with respect to the diffuse gas traced by H i during the merging stage, following the increased velocity dispersion of the gas. We present here initial results obtained studying the SFR-H i relation at 4.5 kpc resolution. We determined SFR/H i mass ratios that are higher in the external regions of mergers than in the outskirts of isolated spirals, though both environments are H i dominated. SFR/H i increases towards the central regions following the decrease of the atomic gas fraction and possibly the increased star-formation efficiency. These results need to be checked with a larger sample of systems and on smaller spatial scales. This is the goal of the ongoing Chaotic THINGS project that ultimately will allow us to determine why starbursting galaxies deviate from the Kennicutt-Schmidt relation between SFR density and gas surface density.
Merger History of Central Galaxies in Semi-analytic Models of Galaxy Formation
The Astrophysical Journal
We investigate the dynamical evolution of galaxies in groups with different formation epochs. Galaxy groups have been selected to be in different dynamical states, namely dynamically old and dynamically young, which reflect their early and late formation times, respectively, based on their halo mass assembly. Brightest galaxies in dynamically young groups have suffered their last major galaxy merger typically ∼ 2 Gyr more recently than their counterparts in dynamically old groups. Furthermore, we study the evolution of velocity dispersion in these two classes and compare them with the analytic models of isolated halos. The velocity dispersion of dwarf galaxies in high mass, dynamically young groups increases slowly in time, while the analogous dispersion in dynamically old high-mass groups is constant. In contrast, the velocity dispersion of giant galaxies in low mass groups decreases rapidly at late times. This increasing velocity bias is caused by dynamical friction, and starts much earlier in the dynamically old groups. The recent Radio-SAGE model of galaxy formation suggests that radio luminosities of central galaxies, considered to be tracers of AGN activity, are enhanced in halos that assembled more recently, independent of the time since the last major merger.
Evolution of the mass, size, and star formation rate in high redshift merging galaxies
Astronomy & Astrophysics, 2014
Context. In Λ-CDM models, galaxies are thought to grow both through continuous cold gas accretion coming from the cosmic web and episodic merger events. The relative importance of these different mechanisms at different cosmic epochs is nevertheless not yet well understood. Aims. We aim at addressing the questions related to galaxy mass assembly through major and minor wet merging processes in the redshift range 1 < z < 2, an epoch corresponding to the peak of the cosmic star formation history. A significant fraction of Milky Way-like galaxies are thought to have undergone an unstable clumpy phase at this early stage. We focus on the behavior of the young clumpy disks when galaxies are undergoing gas-rich galaxy mergers. Methods. Using the adaptive mesh refinement code RAMSES, we build the Merging and Isolated high-Redshift Adaptive mesh refinement Galaxies (MIRAGE) sample. It is composed of 20 mergers and 3 isolated idealized disks simulations, which sample disk orientations and merger masses. Our simulations can reach a physical resolution of 7 parsecs, and include: star formation, metal line cooling, metallicity advection, and a recent physically-motivated implementation of stellar feedback which encompasses OB-type stars radiative pressure, photo-ionization heating, and supernovae. Results. The star formation history of isolated disks shows stochastic star formation rate, which proceeds from the complex behavior of the giant clumps. Our minor and major gas-rich merger simulations do not trigger starbursts, suggesting a saturation of the star formation due to the detailed accounting of stellar feedback processes in a turbulent and clumpy interstellar medium fed by substantial accretion from the circum-galactic medium. Our simulations are globally close to the normal regime of the disk-like star formation on a Schmidt-Kennicutt diagram. The mass-size relation and its rate of evolution in the redshift range 1 < z < 2 matches observations, suggesting that the inside-out growth mechanisms of the stellar disk do not necessarily require to be achieved through a cold accretion.
Modelling feedback from stars and black holes in galaxy mergers
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2005
We describe techniques for incorporating feedback from star formation and black hole (BH) accretion into simulations of isolated and merging galaxies. At present, the details of these processes cannot be resolved in simulations on galactic scales. Our basic approach therefore involves ...
Astronomy & Astrophysics, 2012
Aims. We study galaxy pair samples selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-DR7) and we perform an analysis of minor and major mergers with the aim of investigating the dependence of galaxy properties on interactions. Methods. We build a galaxy pair catalog requiring r p < 25 kpc h −1 and ∆V < 350 km s −1 within redshift z < 0.1. By visual inspection of SDSS images we removed false identifications and we classify the interactions into three categories: pairs undergoing merging, M; pairs with evident tidal features, T ; and non disturbed, N. We also divide the pair sample into minor and major interactions according to the luminosity ratio of the galaxy members. We study star formation activity through colors, the 4000 Å break, and star formation rates.
Galaxy merger histories and the role of merging in driving star formation at z > 1
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2015
We use Horizon-AGN, a hydrodynamical cosmological simulation, to explore the role of mergers in the evolution of massive (M * > 10 10 M ⊙ ) galaxies around the epoch of peak cosmic star formation (1 < z < 4). The fraction of massive galaxies in major mergers (mass ratio R < 4 : 1) is around 3%, a factor of ∼2.5 lower than minor mergers (4 : 1 < R < 10 : 1) at these epochs, with no trend with redshift. At z ∼ 1, around a third of massive galaxies have undergone a major merger, while all such systems have undergone either a major or minor merger. While almost all major mergers at z > 3 are 'blue' (i.e. have significant associated star formation), the proportion of 'red' mergers increases rapidly at z < 2, with most merging systems at z ∼ 1.5 producing remnants that are red in rest-frame UV-optical colours. The star formation enhancement during major mergers is mild (∼20-40%) which, together with the low incidence of such events, implies that this process is not a significant driver of early stellar mass growth. Mergers (R < 10 : 1) host around a quarter of the total star formation budget in this redshift range, with major mergers hosting around two-thirds of this contribution. Notwithstanding their central importance to the standard ΛCDM paradigm, mergers are minority players in driving star formation at the epochs where the bulk of today's stellar mass was formed.
Kinematics and physical properties of southern interacting galaxies: the minor merger AM 2306-721
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2008
We present an observational study about the effects of the interactions in the kinematics, stellar population and abundances of the components of the galaxy pair AM 2306-721. Rotation curves for the main and companion galaxies were obtained, showing a deprojected velocity amplitude of 175 km s −1 and 185 km s −1 , respectively. The interaction between the main and companion galaxies was modeled using numerical N-body/hydrodynamical simulations, with the result indicating that the current stage of the merger would be about 250 Myr after perigalacticum. The spatial variation in the distribution of the stellar population components in both galaxies was analysed by fitting combinations of stellar population models of different age groups. The central region of main galaxy is dominated by an old (5-10 Gyr) population, while significant contributions from a young (200 Myr) and intermediate (1 Gyr) components are found in the disk, being enhanced in the direction of the tidal features. The stellar population of the companion galaxy is overall much younger, being dominated by components with 1 Gyr or less, quite widely spread over the whole disk. Spatial profiles of the oxygen abundance were obtained from the a grid of photoionization models using the R 23 line ratio. The disk of the main galaxy shows a clear radial gradient, while the companion galaxy presents an oxygen abundance relatively homogeneous across the disk. The absence of an abundance gradient in the secondary galaxy is interpreted in terms of mixing by gas flows from the outer parts to the center of the galaxy due to the gravitational interaction with the more massive primary.
Astronomy & Astrophysics, 2011
By means of N-body simulations we investigate the impact of minor mergers on the angular momentum and dynamical properties of the merger remnant. Our simulations cover a range of initial orbital characteristics and gas-to-stellar mass fractions (from 0 to 20%), and include star formation and supernova feedback. We confirm and extend previous results by showing that the specific angular momentum of the stellar component always decreases independently of the orbital parameters or morphology of the satellite, and that the decrease in the rotation velocity of the primary galaxy is accompanied by a change in the anisotropy of the orbits. However, the decrease affects only the old stellar population, and not the new population formed from gas during the merging process. This means that the merging process induces an increasing difference in the rotational support of the old and young stellar components, with the old one lagging with respect to the new. Even if our models are not intended specifically to reproduce the Milky Way and its accretion history, we find that, under certain conditions, the modeled rotational lag found is compatible with that observed in the Milky Way disk, thus indicating that minor mergers can be a viable way to produce it. The lag can increase with the vertical distance from the disk midplane, but only if the satellite is accreted along a direct orbit, and in all cases the main contribution to the lag comes from stars originally in the primary disk rather than from stars in the satellite galaxy. We also discuss the possibility of creating counter-rotating stars in the remnant disk, their fraction as a function of the vertical distance from the galaxy midplane, and the cumulative effect of multiple mergers on their creation.