The Stellar and Gas Kinematics of Several Irregular Galaxies

We present long-slit spectra of three irregular galaxies from which we determinethe stellar kinematics in two of the galaxies (NGC 1156 and NGC 4449) and ionized-gas kinematics in all three (including NGC 2366). We compare this to the optical morphology and to the HI kinematics of the galaxies. In the ionized gas, we see a linear velocity gradient in all three galaxies. In NGC 1156 we also detect a weak linear velocity gradient in the stars of (5+/-1/sin i) km/s/kpc to a radius of 1.6 kpc. The stars and gas are rotating about the same axis, but this is different from the major axis of the stellar bar which dominates the optical light of the galaxy. In NGC 4449 we do not detect organized rotation of the stars and place an upper limit of (3/sin i) km/s/kpc to a radius of 1.2 kpc. For NGC 4449, which has signs of a past interaction with another galaxy, we develop a model to fit the observed kinematics of the stars and gas. In this model the stellar component is in a rotating disk seen nearly face-on while the gas is in a tilted disk with orbits whose planes precess in the gravitational potential. This model reproduces the apparent counter-rotation of the inner gas of the galaxy. The peculiar orbits of the gas are presumed due to acquisition of gas in the past interaction.Comment: To be published in ApJ, November 20, 200

Circumstellar and Circumbinary Disks in Eccentric Stellar Binaries

We explore test particle orbits in the orbital plane of eccentric stellar binary systems, searching for ``invariant loops'': closed curves that change shape periodically as a function of binary orbital phase as the test particles in them move under the stars' gravity. Stable invariant loops play the same role in this periodically-varying potential as stable periodic orbits do in stationary potentials; in particular, when dissipation is weak, gas will most likely follow the non-intersecting loops, while nearby particle orbits librate around them. We use this method to set bounds on the sizes of disks around the stars, and on the gap between those and the inner edge of a possible circumbinary disk. Gas dynamics may impose further restrictions, but our study sets upper bounds for the size of circumstellar disks, and a lower bound for the inner radius of a circumbinary disk. We find that circumstellar disks are sharply reduced as the binary's eccentricity grows. Disks change in size and shape only marginally with the binary phase, with no strong preference to increase or decrease at any particular phase. The circumstellar disks in particular can be quite asymmetric. We compare our results with other numerical and theoretical results and with observations of the $\alpha$ Centauri and L1551 systems, finding very good agreement. The calculated changes in the shapes and crowding of the circumstellar orbits can be used to predict how the disk luminosity and mass inflow should vary with binary phase.Comment: 11 pages, submitted to MNRA

Geometrical and physical properties of circumbinary discs in eccentric stellar binaries

In a previous work, we studied stable configurations for circumstellar discs in eccentric binary systems. We searched for ‘invariant loops': closed curves (analogous to stable periodic orbits in time-independent potentials) that change shape with the binary orbital phase, as test particles in them move under the influence of the binary potential. This approach allows us to identify stable configurations when pressure forces are unimportant, and dissipation acts only to prevent gas clouds from colliding with one another. We now extend this work to study the main geometrical properties of circumbinary discs. We have studied more than 100 cases with a range in eccentricity 0 ≤e≤ 0.9 and mass ratio 0.1 ≤q≤ 0.9. Although gas dynamics may impose further restrictions, our study sets lower stable bounds for the size of the central hole in a simple and computationally cheap way, with a relation that depends on the eccentricity and mass ratio of the central binary. We extend our previous studies and focus on an important component of these systems: circumbinary discs. The radii for stable orbits that can host gas in circumbinary discs are sharply constrained as a function of the binary's eccentricity. The circumbinary disc configurations are almost circular, with eccentricity ed < 0.15, but if the mass ratio is unequal the disc is offset from the centre of mass of the system. We compare our results with other models, and with observations of specific systems like GG Tauri A, UY Aurigae, HD 98800 B, and Fomalhaut, restricting the plausible parameters for the binar

Kinematically detected polar rings/disks in blue compact dwarf galaxies

Polar ring galaxies are systems with nearly orthogonally rotated components. We have found the gas on polar (or strongly inclined) orbits in two BCD galaxies using ionized gas velocity fields taken with a Fabry-Perot interferometer of the SAO RAS 6-m telescope. Our analysis shows that all ionized gas in Mrk 33 is concentrated in a compact disk (3 kpc in diameter) which rotates in the polar plane relative to the main stellar body. The gaseous disk in Mrk 370 has a more complex structure with a heavily warped innermost part. The presence of polar gaseous structures supports an idea that current the burst of star formation in these galaxies is due to the external gas accretion or merging. A possible fraction of polar structures among BCD galaxies seems to be very large (up to 10-15%)Comment: to appear in the proceedings of the conference "A Universe of dwarf galaxies" (Lyon, June 14-18, 2010

Self-gravitating warped discs around supermassive black holes

We consider warped equilibrium configurations for stellar and gaseous disks in the Keplerian force-field of a supermassive black hole, assuming that the self-gravity of the disk provides the only acting torques. Modeling the disk as a collection of concentric circular rings, and computing the torques in the non-linear regime, we show that stable, strongly warped precessing equilibria are possible. These solutions exist for a wide range of disk-to-black hole mass ratios $M_d/M_{bh}$, can span large warp angles of up to $\pm\sim 120\deg$, have inner and outer boundaries, and extend over a radial range of a factor of typically two to four. These equilibrium configurations obey a scaling relation such that in good approximation \phidot/\Omega\propto M_d/M_{bh} where \phidot is the (retrograde) precession frequency and $\Omega$ is a characteristic orbital frequency in the disk. Stability was determined using linear perturbation theory and, in a few cases, confirmed by numerical integration of the equations of motion. Most of the precessing equilibria are found to be stable, but some are unstable. The main result of this study is that highly warped disks near black holes can persist for long times without any persistent forcing other than by their self-gravity. The possible relevance of this to galactic nuclei is briefly discussed.Comment: 13 pages, 21 figures, published in MNRA

Evidence for coupling between the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy and the Milky Way warp

Using recent determinations of the mass and orbit of Sagittarius, I calculate its orbital angular momentum. From the latest observational data, I also calculate the angular momentum of the Milky Way's warp. I find that both angular momenta are directed toward l=270, b=0, and have magnitude 2-8x10^12 M_Sun kpc km s^-1, where the range in both cases reflects uncertainty in the mass. The coincidence of the angular momenta is suggestive of a coupling between these systems. Direct gravitational torque of Sgr on the disk is ruled out as the coupling mechanism. Gravitational torque due to a wake in the halo and the impulsive deposition of momentum by a passage of Sgr through the disk are still both viable mechanisms pending better simulations to test their predictions on the observed Sgr-MW system.Comment: 11 pages, to appear in the February 1 issue of ApJ

The stellar velocity dispersion in the inner 1.3 disk scale-lengths of the irregular galaxy NGC 4449

We present measurements of the stellar velocity dispersion in the inner 1 arcmin radius (1.3 disk scale-lengths) of the irregular galaxy NGC 4449 determined from long-slit absorption-line spectra. The average observed dispersion is 29 +/-2 km/s, the same as predicted from NGC 4449's luminosity. No significant rotation in the stars is detected. If we assume a maximum rotation speed of the stars from the model determined from the gas kinematics of Hunter et al. (2002), the ratio V_max/sigma_z measured globally is 3. This ratio is comparable to values measured in spiral galaxies, and implies that the stellar disk in NGC 4449 is kinematically relatively cold. The intrinsic minor-to-major axis ratio (b/a)_0 is predicted to be in the range 0.3-0.6, similar to values derived from the distribution of observed b/a of Im galaxies. However, V/sigma_z measured locally is 0.5-1.1, and so the circular velocity of NGC 4449 is comparable or less than the velocity of the stars within the central 1.3 disk scale-lengths of the galaxy.Comment: To be published in ApJ, Nov 200

First Interferometric Observations of Molecular Gas in a Polar Ring: The Helix Galaxy NGC 2685

We have detected four Giant Molecular cloud Associations (GMAs) (sizes < 6.6'' ~ 430 pc) in the western and eastern region of the polar ring in NGC2685 (the Helix galaxy) using the Owens Valley Radio Observatory (OVRO) millimeter interferometer. Emission from molecular gas is found close to the brightest Halpha and HI peaks in the polar ring and is confirmed by new IRAM 30m single dish observations. The CO and HI line velocities are very similar, providing additional kinematic confirmation that the CO emission emerges from the polar ring. For the first time, the total molecular mass within a polar ring is determined (M_H2~(8-11)x10^6 M_sol, using the standard Galactic conversion factor). We detect about M_H2~4.4x10^6 M_sol in the nuclear region with the single dish. Our upper limit derived from the interferometric data is lower (M_H2<0.7x10^6 M_sol) suggesting that the molecular gas is distributed in an extended (< 1.3 kpc) diffuse disk. These new values are an order of magnitude lower than in previous reports. The total amount of molecular gas and the atomic gas content of the polar ring are consistent with formation due to accretion of a small gas-rich object, such as a dwarf irregular. The properties of the NGC2685 system suggest that the polar ring and the host galaxy have been in a stable configuration for a considerable time (few Gyr). The second (outer) HI ring within the disk of NGC2685 is very likely at the outer Lindblad resonance (OLR) of the ~ 11 kpc long stellar bar.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, accepted by ApJ Letter

The Destruction of Bars by Central Mass Concentrations

More than two thirds of disk galaxies are barred to some degree. Many today harbor massive concentrations of gas in their centers, and some are known to possess supermassive black holes (SMBHs) and their associated stellar cusps. Previous theoretical work has suggested that a bar in a galaxy could be dissolved by the formation of a mass concentration in the center, although the precise mass and degree of central concentration required is not well-established. We report an extensive study of the effects of central masses on bars in high-quality N-body simulations of galaxies. We have varied the growth rate of the central mass, its final mass and degree of concentration to examine how these factors affect the evolution of the bar. Our main conclusions are: (1) Bars are more robust than previously thought. The central mass has to be as large as several percent of the disk mass to completely destroy the bar on a short timescale. (2) For a given mass, dense objects cause the greatest reduction in bar amplitude, while significantly more diffuse objects have a lesser effect. (3) The bar amplitude always decreases as the central mass is grown, and continues to decay thereafter on a cosmological time-scale. (4) The first phase of bar-weakening is due to the destruction by the CMC of lower-energy, bar-supporting orbits, while the second phase is a consequence of secular changes to the global potential which further diminish the number of bar-supporting orbits. We provide detailed phase-space and orbit analysis to support this suggestion. Thus current masses of SMBHs are probably too small, even when dressed with a stellar cusp, to affect the bar in their host galaxies. The molecular gas concentrations found in some barred galaxies are also too diffuse to affect the amplitude of the bar significantly.Comment: AASTeX v5.0 preprint; 44 pages, including 1 table and 16 figures. To appear in ApJ. High resolution version can be found at http://www.physics.rutgers.edu/~shen/bar_destruct/paper_high_res.pd

Warped Galaxies From Misaligned Angular Momenta

A galaxy disk embedded in a rotating halo experiences a dynamical friction force which causes it to warp when the angular momentum axes of the disk and halo are misaligned. Our fully self-consistent simulations of this process induce long-lived warps in the disk which mimic Briggs's rules of warp behavior. They also demonstrate that random motion within the disk adds significantly to its stiffness. Moreover, warps generated in this way have no winding problem and are more pronounced in the extended \h1 disk. As emphasized by Binney and his co-workers, angular momentum misalignments, which are expected in hierarchical models of galaxy formation, can account for the high fraction of warped galaxies. Our simulations exemplify the role of misaligned spins in warp formation even when the halo density is not significantly flattened.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures. Accepted for publication in Ap.J.