Topics on bar and bulge formation and evolution
Abstract
I discuss results from the COSMOS survey, showing that the fraction of disc galaxies that is barred decreases considerably with look-back time from z ~ 0.2 to z ~ 0.8. This decrease is more important for small mass and low luminosity spirals. Classical bar formation theory provides a promising framework for understanding these results. I also discuss the formation of discy bulges using N-body simulations reproducing well the properties of observed discy bulges. Thus, these simulated discy bulges have the shape of a disc, they have Sersic profiles with small values of the shape index and their size is of the order of a kpc. They are formed by radial inflow of material driven by the bar and are thus composed of both gas and stars and have a considerable fraction of young stars. They can harbour spiral structure, or an inner bar.
Cite
@article{arxiv.0802.0155,
title = {Topics on bar and bulge formation and evolution},
author = {E. Athanassoula},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0802.0155},
year = {2008}
}
Comments
4 pages, 2 figures, contributed paper to the Rome meeting on "Formation and Evolution of Galaxy Disks", eds, J. Funes, S.J. and E.M. Corsini