Projects per year
Abstract
We present hydrodynamical N-body models which demonstrate that
elliptical galaxies can transform into S0s by acquiring a disc. In
particular, we show that the merger with a massive gas-rich satellite
can lead to the formation of a baryonic disc around an elliptical. We
model the elliptical as a massive, compact galaxy which could be
observed as a `red nugget' in the high-z universe. This scenario
contrasts with existing S0 formation scenarios in the literature in two
important ways. First, the progenitor is an elliptical galaxy whereas
scenarios in the literature typically assume a spiral progenitor.
Second, the physical conditions underlying our proposed scenario can
exist in low-density environments such as the field, in contrast to
scenarios in the literature which typically address dense environments
like clusters and groups. As a consequence, S0s in the field may be the
most likely candidates to have evolved from elliptical progenitors. Our
scenario also naturally explains recent observations which indicate that
field S0s may have older bulges than discs, contrary to cluster S0s
which seem to have older discs than bulges.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 2030-2041 |
Journal | Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society |
Volume | 477 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Jun 2018 |
Fingerprint Dive into the research topics of 'Formation of S0s via disc accretion around high-redshift compact ellipticals'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
Projects
- 1 Finished
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Unravelling the major transformation mechanism of disk galaxies
Bekki, K., Forbes, D., Couch, W. & Drinkwater, M.
1/01/17 → 31/12/20
Project: Research