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Star Formation in Collisions Between Two Gas-Rich Disk Galaxies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 May 2016

Curtis Struck*
Affiliation:
Iowa State University, Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, Ames, IA 50011 USA

Extract

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We present the results of a modest grid of three-dimensional (SPH) simulations of nearly head-on collisions between two model galaxies, each consisting of a rigid halo and a gas-rich disk component. The companion to primary mass ratio used is typically 0.2 - 0.35. Simple models of radiative cooling and heating from young star activity are also included in the simulations. Star formation is assumed to occur when the local gas density exceeds a threshold value. In these collisions the primary gas disk remains largely intact, though a gas bridge is splashed out between the two galaxies. Star formation occurs in asymmetric ring-like waves in the primary. The bridge is predicted to have essentially no ongoing star formation. These results agree with observations of the Cartwheel and VII Zw 466 ring galaxies.

Type
Tidal Interactions
Copyright
Copyright © Kluwer 1999 

References

Struck, C. 1997, ApJS, 113, in press CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Struck, C., Appleton, P.N., Borne, K.D., & Lucas, R.A. 1996, AJ, 112, 1868 Google Scholar