Journal
MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY
Volume 376, Issue 3, Pages 1261-1269Publisher
OXFORD UNIV PRESS
DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2007.11516.x
Keywords
methods : N-body simulations; galaxies : haloes; galaxies : interactions; galaxies : kinematics and dynamics
Categories
Funding
- Science and Technology Facilities Council [PP/E00119X/1] Funding Source: researchfish
- STFC [PP/E00119X/1] Funding Source: UKRI
Ask authors/readers for more resources
We perform collisionless N-body simulations of 1:1 galaxy mergers, using models which include a galaxy halo, disc and bulge, focusing on the behaviour of the halo component. The galaxy models are constructed without recourse to a Maxwellian approximation. We investigate the effect of varying the galaxies' orientation, their mutual orbit and the initial velocity anisotropy or cusp strength of the haloes upon the remnant halo density profiles and shape, as well as on the kinematics. We observe that the halo density profile (determined as a spherical average, an approximation we find appropriate) is exceptionally robust in mergers, and that the velocity anisotropy of our remnant haloes is nearly independent of the orbits or initial anisotropy of the haloes. The remnants follow the halo anisotropy - local density slope (beta-gamma) relation suggested by Hansen & Moore in the inner parts of the halo, but beta is systematically lower than this relation predicts in the outer parts. Remnant halo axis ratios are strongly dependent on the initial parameters of the haloes and on their orbits. We also find that the remnant haloes are significantly less spherical than those described in studies of simulations which include gas cooling.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available