Open AccessSimulations of central structure in barred galaxies
Author(s) -
Rautiainen P.,
Salo H.,
Laurikainen E.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
monthly notices of the royal astronomical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.058
H-Index - 383
eISSN - 1365-2966
pISSN - 0035-8711
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-8711.2002.05955.x
Subject(s) - physics , barred spiral galaxy , astrophysics , bar (unit) , galaxy , component (thermodynamics) , disc galaxy , orbit (dynamics) , elliptical galaxy , meteorology , engineering , thermodynamics , aerospace engineering
ABSTRACT We have studied the formation of complex central structures in barred galaxies – nested bars, nuclear spirals and circumnuclear rings – by making N ‐body simulations, which include the gas component as inelastically colliding particles. Our models suggest that many of the observed features in both the stellar and gas components can be explained by the dynamical effect of two or more modes in the stellar disc. Especially, many morphological features in our simulations correspond to analytically studied orbit loops in double‐barred potentials. Interestingly, a fast‐rotating secondary bar forms in a purely stellar disc in our simulations, which disagrees with some previous studies where the presence of a dissipative component was needed.