| | |
| | |
Stat |
Members: 3667 Articles: 2'599'751 Articles rated: 2609
07 February 2025 |
|
| | | |
|
Article overview
| |
|
A new formation model for M32: A threshed early-type spiral? | Kenji Bekki
; Warrick J. Couch
; Michael Drinkwater
; Michael D. Gregg
; | Date: |
6 Jul 2001 | Subject: | astro-ph | Abstract: | The origin of the closest compact elliptical galaxy (cE) M32 is a longstanding problem of galaxy formation in the Local Group. Our N-body/SPH simulations suggest a new scenario in which the strong tidal field of M31 can transform a spiral galaxy into a compact elliptical. As a low luminosity spiral galaxy plunges into the central region of M31, most of the outer stellar and gaseous components of its disk are dramatically stripped due to M31’s tidal field The central bulge component, on the other hand, is just weakly influenced by the tidal field owing to its compact configuration, and retains its morphology. M31’s strong tidal field also induces rapid gas transfer to the central region, triggers a nuclear starburst, and consequently forms the central high density and more metal-rich stellar populations with relatively young ages. Thus, in this scenario, M32 was previously the bulge of a spiral tidally interacting with M31 several Gyr ago. Furthermore, we suggest cEs like M32 are rare, the result of both the rather narrow parameter space for tidal interactions which morphologically transform spirals into cEs and the very short time scale ($<$ a few $10^9$ yr) for cEs to be swallowed. | Source: | arXiv, astro-ph/0107117 | Services: | Forum | Review | PDF | Favorites |
|
|
No review found.
Did you like this article?
Note: answers to reviews or questions about the article must be posted in the forum section.
Authors are not allowed to review their own article. They can use the forum section.
|
| |
|
|
|