The varieties of symmetric stellar rings and radial caustics in galaxy disks
- Iowa State Univ. of Science and Technology, Ames (USA)
Numerical, restricted three-body and analytic calculations are used to study the formation and propagation of cylindrically symmetric stellar ring waves in galaxy disks. It is shown that such waves can evolve in a variety of ways, depending on the amplitude of the perturbation and the potential of the target galaxy. Rings can thicken as they propagate outward, remain at a nearly constant width, or be pinched off at large radii. Multiple, closely spaced rings can result from a low-amplitude collision, while an outer ring can appear well-separated from overlapping inner rings or an apparent lens structure in halo-dominated potentials. All the single-encounter rings consist of paired fold caustics. The simple, impulsive, kinematic oscillation equations appear to provide a remarkably accurate model of the numerical simulations. Simple analytic approximations to these equations permit very good estimates of oscillation periods and amplitudes, the evolution of ring widths, and ring birth and propagation characteristics. 48 refs.
- OSTI ID:
- 6596765
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal; (USA), Vol. 358; ISSN 0004-637X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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GENERAL PHYSICS
GALAXIES
DYNAMICS
MORPHOLOGY
ANALYTICAL SOLUTION
ASTROPHYSICS
GALACTIC EVOLUTION
GRAVITATIONAL INTERACTIONS
MOTION
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
SINGULARITY
THREE-BODY PROBLEM
BASIC INTERACTIONS
INTERACTIONS
MANY-BODY PROBLEM
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640105* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Galaxies