Structure Formation inside Triaxial Dark Matter Halos: Galactic Disks, Bulges, and Bars

• Published in: The Astrophysical journal Vol. 671; no. 1; pp. 226 - 242
• Main Authors: Heller, Clayton H, Shlosman, Isaac, Athanassoula, E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chicago, IL IOP Publishing 10.12.2007; University of Chicago Press
• Subjects: Astronomy; Earth, ocean, space; Exact sciences and technology; Galaxy evolution; Galactic halos; Galaxy halo; Galaxies; galaxies: evolution; Galactic disks; Milky Way; galaxies: halos; galaxies: formation; galaxies: structure; Dark matter; Galaxy structure; Dynamics; Galaxy formation; Galactic bulge; Kinematics; galaxies: kinematics and dynamics
• ISSN: 0004-637X; 1538-4357
• DOI: 10.1086/523260

We investigate formation and evolution of galactic disks immersed in assembling live DM halos. Models have been evolved from cosmological initial conditions and represent the collapse of an isolated density perturbation. The baryons include gas participating in star formation (SF) and stars with the energy feedback onto the ISM. We find that (1) the triaxial halo figure tumbling is insignificant and the angular momentum (J) is channeled into the internal circulation, while the baryonic collapse is stopped by the centrifugal barrier; (2) density response of the (disk) baryons is out of phase with DM, thus washing out the inner halo ellipticity; (3) the total J is neatly conserved, even in models accounting for stellar feedback; (4) the specific J for DM is nearly constant, while that for baryons is decreasing; (5) early stage of disk formation resembles the cat's cradle-a small amorphous disk fueled via radial string patterns-followed by growing oval disk whose shape varies with its orientation to the halo major axis; (6) the disk gas layer thins when the SF rate drops below similar to 5 M [unk] yr super(-1); (7) about half of the baryons remain outside the disk SF region or in the halo as a hot gas; (8) rotation curves appear to be flat and account for the observed disk/halo contributions; (9) a range of bulge-dominated to bulgeless disks was obtained, depending on the stellar feedback parameter, [unk]: smaller [unk] leads to a larger and earlier bulge; lower density threshold for SF leads to a smaller, thicker disk; gas gravitational softening mimics a number of intrinsic processes within the ISM; (10) models are characterized by an extensive bar-forming activity; (11) nested bars form in response to the gas inflow along the primary bars, as shown by Heller, Shlosman, and Athanassoula.