English

Towards the Unified Theory of Galactic Bar-Modes

Astrophysics 2007-05-23 v1

Abstract

The arguments in favor of the unified formation mechanism for both slow (Lynden-Bell's) bars and common fast bars are given. This mechanism consists in a certain instability that is akin to the well-known radial orbit instability; it is caused by the mutual attraction and alignment of axes of precessing star orbits (up to now, such a way of formation was considered only for slow bars). The general theory of the low-frequency modes of a disk consisting of precessing orbits (at different angular velocities) is presented. The problem of determining these modes is reduced to the integral equations of a rather simple structure. The characteristic pattern speeds (Ωp\Omega_p) of the low-frequency modes are of order of the mean orbit precession speeds (Ωˉpr\bar\Omega_{pr}). The bar-modes also belong to this type of modes. The slow bars have ΩpΩˉpr\Omega_p \approx \bar\Omega_{pr}; for the fast bars, Ωp\Omega_p may far exceed even the maximum precessing speed of disk orbits (however, Ωp\Omega_p remains to be of order of these precessing speeds). The possibility of such an excess of Ωp\Omega_p over Ωprmax\Omega_{pr}^{\max} is connected with the effect of ``repelling'' orbits that tend to move in the direction opposite to that they are being pushed. The preliminary analysis of the orbit precession patterns for a number of typical potentials is given. It is noted that the maximum radius of the ``attracting'' circular orbits (rcr_c) may be used as a reasonable estimate of a bar length.

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Cite

@article{arxiv.astro-ph/0212553,
  title  = {Towards the Unified Theory of Galactic Bar-Modes},
  author = {E. V. Polyachenko and V. L. Polyachenko},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:astro-ph/0212553},
  year   = {2007}
}

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19 pages