scholarly journals Dynamical History of the Solar Neighbourhood

1980 ◽  
Vol 85 ◽  
pp. 191-193
Author(s):  
J. P. Vader

The dynamical evolution of the solar neighbourhood is described by an accretion model in which the gas accretion rate decays exponentially with time. Stars form at a rate proportional to the local gas volume density and their velocity dispersion is increased after birth by star-cloud collisions. The present mass density distribution of stars and of gas perpendicular to the galactic plane (Oort 1965) and the observed increase of stellar velocity dispersion with age (Mayor 1974; Mayor and Martinet 1977) are reproduced for an e-folding time of 3 × 109 y of the gas accretion rate and a characteristic star formation time scale of 2.8 × 109 y.

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (S334) ◽  
pp. 304-305
Author(s):  
Jorrit H. J. Hagen ◽  
Amina Helmi

AbstractWe investigate the kinematics of red clump stars in the Solar neighbourhood by combining data from the RAVE survey with the TGAS dataset presented in Gaia DR1. Our goal is to put new constraints on the (local) distribution of mass using the Jeans Equations. Here we show the variation of the vertical velocity dispersion as function of height above the mid-plane for both a thin and a thick disk tracer sample and present preliminary results.


2020 ◽  
Vol 500 (3) ◽  
pp. 3579-3593
Author(s):  
S Aniyan ◽  
A A Ponomareva ◽  
K C Freeman ◽  
M Arnaboldi ◽  
O E Gerhard ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The mass-to-light ratio (M/L) is a key parameter in decomposing galactic rotation curves into contributions from the baryonic components and the dark halo of a galaxy. One direct observational method to determine the disc M/L is by calculating the surface mass density of the disc from the stellar vertical velocity dispersion and the scale height of the disc. Usually, the scale height is obtained from near-IR studies of edge-on galaxies and pertains to the older, kinematically hotter stars in the disc, while the vertical velocity dispersion of stars is measured in the optical band and refers to stars of all ages (up to ∼10 Gyr) and velocity dispersions. This mismatch between the scale height and the velocity dispersion can lead to underestimates of the disc surface density and a misleading conclusion of the submaximality of galaxy discs. In this paper, we present the study of the stellar velocity dispersion of the disc galaxy NGC 6946 using integrated star light and individual planetary nebulae as dynamical tracers. We demonstrate the presence of two kinematically distinct populations of tracers that contribute to the total stellar velocity dispersion. Thus, we are able to use the dispersion and the scale height of the same dynamical population to derive the surface mass density of the disc over a radial extent. We find the disc of NGC 6946 to be closer to maximal with the baryonic component contributing most of the radial gravitational field in the inner parts of the galaxy (Vmax(bar) = 0.76(±0.14)Vmax).


2006 ◽  
Vol 2 (S235) ◽  
pp. 12-16
Author(s):  
Tommaso Treu

AbstractI report on recent measurements of two scaling relations of spheroids in the distant universe, the Fundamental Plane, and the relation between lensing velocity dispersion and stellar velocity dispersion. The joint analysis of the two scaling relations indicates that the most massive (above ~1011.5M⊙) spheroids are consistent with no evolution since z ~ 1 both in terms of star formation and internal structure. Furthermore their total mass density profile is on average well described by an isothermal sphere with no evidence for redshift evolution. At smaller masses the picture appears to be substantially different, as indicated by evidence for substantial recent star formation (as much as 20–40% of stellar mass formed since z ~ 1), and by hints of a reduced dark matter content at smaller masses. A larger sample of lenses extending to velocity dispersions below 200\kms, and to redshifts above >0.5 is needed to verify these trends.


2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (S334) ◽  
pp. 310-311
Author(s):  
Andreas Just ◽  
Kseniia Sysoliatina

AbstractWe used our detailed analytic local disc model to compare predictions in number counts, colour distribuitons and kinematics with a data set extracted from a combination of TGAS and RAVE catalogues. We find generally a very good agreement with some deviations close to the Galactic plane.


2018 ◽  
Vol 853 (1) ◽  
pp. 39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Or Graur ◽  
K. Decker French ◽  
H. Jabran Zahid ◽  
James Guillochon ◽  
Kaisey S. Mandel ◽  
...  

1987 ◽  
Vol 117 ◽  
pp. 412-412
Author(s):  
C. G. Lacey ◽  
J. P. Ostriker

We consider the idea that galaxy halos are composed of massive black holes, as a possible resolution of two problems: the composition of dark halos, and the heating of stellar disks. Scattering of disk stars by halo black holes with mass MH, velocity dispersion σH and number density nH causes the stellar velocity dispersion to increase with time t as σ≈(Dt)1/2 for t large, where D α nHM2H in Λ/σH, and in Λ is the Coulomb logarithm. This time-dependence is in good agreement with observations, as is the prediction for the axial ratios of the velocity ellipsoid σu: σv: σw. To account for the magnitude of the disk velocity dispersion in the solar neighbourhood, we require MH≈2 × 106M⊙. The stellar distribution function is predicted to be approximately isothermal at low epicyclic energies, in the Fokker-Planck regime in which the effect of the many distant, weak encounters dominates, but with a power-law tail at high energies produced by the relatively rare close encounters. This tail has the form N(E)αE−2, where E is the horizontal or vertical epicyclic energy, and N(E) is the number of stars per unit area of the disk, per unit E. The fraction of stars in this power-law tail depends only on the value of in Λ, and is about 1% for typical values. This provides a possible explanation for the high velocity A stars found in the solar neighbourhood. This disk heating mechanism can also account for the approximate constancy of the disk scaleheight with radius that is observed in other spiral galaxies, although this does not result as naturally as the other properties.


2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (S292) ◽  
pp. 255-255
Author(s):  
Rui Xue ◽  
Daniel Welty ◽  
Tony Wong

AbstractWe have performed a survey study of rotational excited-state H2 Lyman-Werner absorption lines in the entire FUSE Magellanic Clouds Legacy archive. These lines reflect the UV pumping and formation conditions of H2, enabling a more comprehensive study of H2 gas properties, e.g. J-level populations N(J) and b-values (generally indicating the velocity dispersion). Combining with our previous measurements of N(Hi) and N(H2), we derived H2 excitation temperatures, gas volume density n(H), and local UV radiation field strength IUV for each sight line. The results indicate a weaker correlation between n(H) and IUV in Magellanic Clouds than the Galactic sight lines. We also obtained N(H)/E(B − V) ratios from the Spitzer-SAGE and previous CO J = 1 − 0 / Hi 21 cm surveys at sight line locations, using dust modeling and standard line brightness-column density conversion factors. They show a roughly linear correlation with absorption-based N(H)/E(B − V) values, and have a similar scatter (∼0.7 dex) across the LMC and SMC.


2000 ◽  
Vol 174 ◽  
pp. 167-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Verdes-Montenegro ◽  
M. S. Yun ◽  
B. A. Williams ◽  
W. K. Huchtmeier ◽  
A. Del Olmo ◽  
...  

AbstractWe present a global study of Hɪ spectral line mapping for 16 Hickson Compact Groups (HCGs) combining new and unpublished VLA data, plus the analysis of the Hɪ content of individual galaxies. Sixty percent of the groups show morphological and kinematical signs of perturbations (from multiple tidal features to concentration of the Hɪ in a single enveloping cloud) and sixty five of the resolved galaxies are found to be Hɪ deficient with respect to a sample of isolated galaxies. In total, 77% of the groups suffer interactions among all its members which provides strong evidence of their reality. We find that dynamical evolution does not always produce Hɪ deficiency, but when this deficiency is observed, it appears to correlate with a high group velocity dispersion and in some cases with the presence of a first-ranked elliptical. The X-ray data available for our sample are not sensitive enough for a comparison with the Hɪ mass; however this study does suggest a correlation between Hɪ deficiency and hot gas since velocity dispersions are known from the literature to correlate with X-ray luminosity.


2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (S323) ◽  
pp. 284-287
Author(s):  
S. Aniyan ◽  
K. C. Freeman ◽  
M. Arnaboldi ◽  
O. Gerhard ◽  
L. Coccato ◽  
...  

AbstractThe decomposition of the 21 cm rotation curve of galaxies into contribution from the disk and dark halo depends on the adopted mass to light ratio (M/L) of the disk. Given the vertical velocity dispersion (σz) of stars in the disk and its scale height (hz), the disk surface density and hence the M/L can be estimated. Earlier works have used this technique to conclude that galaxy disks are submaximal. Here we address an important conceptual problem: star-forming spirals have an old (kinematically hot) disk population and a young cold disk population. Both of these populations contribute to the integrated light spectra from which σz is measured. The measured scale height hz is for the old disk population. In the Jeans equation, σz and hz must pertain to the same population. We have developed techniques to extract the velocity dispersion of the old disk from integrated light spectra and from samples of planetary nebulae. We present the analysis of the disk kinematics of the galaxy NGC 628 using IFU data in the inner regions and planetary nebulae as tracers in the outer regions of the disk. We demonstrate that using the scale height of the old thin disk with the vertical velocity dispersion of the same population, traced by PNe, results in a maximal disk for NGC 628. Our analysis concludes that previous studies underestimate the disk surface mass density by ~ 2, sufficient to make a maximal disk for NGC 628 appear like a submaximal disk.


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