Related papers: Nuclear Stellar Discs
Nuclear star clusters (NSCs) are dense, compact stellar systems only a few parsecs across, located at galaxy centers. Their small sizes make them difficult to resolve spatially. NSCs often coexist with massive black holes, and both trace…
The data obtained by the recent modern sky surveys enable detailed studies of the stellar distribution in the multi-dimensional space spanned by spatial coordinates, velocity and metallicity, from the solar neighborhood all the way out to…
We present the first results of a pilot study aimed at understanding the influence of bars on the evolution of galaxy discs through the study of their stellar content. We examine here the kinematics, star formation history, mass-weighted,…
The study of the Milky Way stellar discs in the context of galaxy formation is discussed. In particular we explore the properties of the Milky Way disc using a new sample of about 550 dwarf stars for which we have recently obtained…
The inner ~200 pc region of the Milky Way contains a nuclear stellar disc and a nuclear star cluster that are embedded in the larger Galactic bar. These stellar systems overlap spatially, which makes it challenging to separate stars that…
Nuclear Star Clusters are observed at the center of many galaxies. In particular in the center of the Milky Way the Nuclear Star Cluster coexists with a cen- tral supermassive black hole. The origin of these clusters is still unknown; a…
Recent observations have shown that compact nuclear star clusters (NSCs) are present in up to 80% of galaxies. However, detailed studies of their dynamical and chemical properties are confined mainly to spiral galaxy hosts, where they are…
A large fraction of bulgeless disk galaxies contain young compact stellar systems at their centers, in spite of the local gravitational stability of these disks. We evaluate two contrasting hypotheses for the origin of the nuclear star…
The dynamical stability and evolution of disc galaxies with different disc thickness as well as various fraction and concentration of stellar counter-rotation is investigated with self-consistent numerical simulations. In particular,…
Globular Clusters (GCs) and Nuclear Star Clusters (NSCs) are typically composed by several stellar populations, characterized by different chemical compositions. Different populations show different ages in NSCs but not necessarily in GCs.…
There is now strong evidence that the Milky Way (MW) hosts a nuclear stellar disc (NSD). However, whether the NSD is purely axisymmetric or contains a nuclear bar remains unresolved. Since approximately $50\%$ of barred galaxies with…
The formation and structure of the Milky Way has a fundamental role in our understanding of the universe and its evolution, and thanks to the Gaia mission and large spectroscopic surveys, we live an exceptional moment of data availability,…
The Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment has measured the stellar velocities of red giant stars in the inner Milky Way. We confirm that the line of sight velocity distributions (LOSVDs) in the mid-plane exhibit a second…
We perform controlled N-body simulations of disc galaxies growing within live dark matter (DM) haloes to present-day galaxies that contain both thin and thick discs. We consider two types of models: a) thick-disc initial conditions to which…
Nuclear star clusters (NSCs) are massive star clusters found ubiquitously in the centres of galaxies, from the dwarf regime to massive ellipticals and spirals. The fraction of nucleated galaxies is as high as $>$ 90 % at $M_{\text{gal}}…
The centers of most galaxies in the local universe are occupied by compact, barely resolved sources. Based on their structural properties, position in the fundamental plane, and integrated spectra, these sources clearly have a stellar…
Recent photometric observations by the {\it Hubble Space Telescope (HST)} have revealed the physical properties of stellar galactic nuclei in nucleated dwarf galaxies in the Virgo cluster of galaxies. In order to elucidate the formation…
A key event in the history of the Milky Way is the formation of the bar. This event affects the subsequent structural and dynamical evolution of the entire Galaxy. When the bar formed, gas was likely rapidly funnelled to the centre of the…
Recent studies have revealed that bars can form as early as a few billion years after the Big Bang, already displaying similar characteristics of evolved bars in the Local Universe. Bars redistribute angular momentum across the galaxy,…
Nuclear stellar cluster (NSCs) are known to exist around massive black holes (MBHs) in galactic nuclei. They are thought to have formed through in-situ star formation following gas inflow to the nucleus of the galaxy and/or through the…