21,342 research outputs found
Chaos and dynamical trends in barred galaxies: bridging the gap between N-body simulations and time-dependent analytical models
Self-consistent N-body simulations are efficient tools to study galactic
dynamics. However, using them to study individual trajectories (or ensembles)
in detail can be challenging. Such orbital studies are important to shed light
on global phase space properties, which are the underlying cause of observed
structures. The potentials needed to describe self-consistent models are
time-dependent. Here, we aim to investigate dynamical properties
(regular/chaotic motion) of a non-autonomous galactic system, whose
time-dependent potential adequately mimics certain realistic trends arising
from N-body barred galaxy simulations. We construct a fully time-dependent
analytical potential, modeling the gravitational potentials of disc, bar and
dark matter halo, whose time-dependent parameters are derived from a
simulation. We study the dynamical stability of its reduced time-independent
2-degrees of freedom model, charting the different islands of stability
associated with certain orbital morphologies and detecting the chaotic and
regular regions. In the full 3-degrees of freedom time-dependent case, we show
representative trajectories experiencing typical dynamical behaviours, i.e.,
interplay between regular and chaotic motion for different epochs. Finally, we
study its underlying global dynamical transitions, estimating fractions of
(un)stable motion of an ensemble of initial conditions taken from the
simulation. For such an ensemble, the fraction of regular motion increases with
time.Comment: 17 pages, 11 figures (revised version, accepted for publication in
Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc.
Bar formation and evolution in disc galaxies with gas and a triaxial halo: Morphology, bar strength and halo properties
We follow the formation and evolution of bars in N-body simulations of disc
galaxies with gas and/or a triaxial halo. We find that both the relative gas
fraction and the halo shape play a major role in the formation and evolution of
the bar. In gas-rich simulations, the disc stays near-axisymmetric much longer
than in gas-poor ones, and, when the bar starts growing, it does so at a much
slower rate. Due to these two effects combined, large-scale bars form much
later in gas-rich than in gas-poor discs. This can explain the observation that
bars are in place earlier in massive red disc galaxies than in blue spirals. We
also find that the morphological characteristics in the bar region are strongly
influenced by the gas fraction. In particular, the bar at the end of the
simulation is much weaker in gas-rich cases. In no case did we witness bar
destruction.
Halo triaxiality has a dual influence on bar strength. In the very early
stages of the simulation it induces bar formation to start earlier. On the
other hand, during the later, secular evolution phase, triaxial haloes lead to
considerably less increase of the bar strength than spherical ones. The shape
of the halo evolves considerably with time. The inner halo parts may become
more elongated, or more spherical, depending on the bar strength. The main body
of initially triaxial haloes evolves towards sphericity, but in initially
strongly triaxial cases it stops well short of becoming spherical. Part of the
angular momentum absorbed by the halo generates considerable rotation of the
halo particles that stay located relatively near the disc for long periods of
time. Another part generates halo bulk rotation, which, contrary to that of the
bar, increases with time but stays small.Comment: 21 pages, 16 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS. A high
resolution version is at
http://195.221.212.246:4780/dynam/paper/amr12/rm_3axhalo_gas.pd
Fast temporal correlation between hard X-ray and ultraviolet continuum brightenings
Recent Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) observations have shown fast and simultaneous increases in hard X-rays (HXR, E25 keV) and ultraviolet continuum (UVC, lambda lambda approx. equals 1600 and 1388 A) radiation. A simple and natural explanation is given for this phenomenon to happen, which does not involve extreme conditions for energy transport processes, and confirms earlier results on the effect of XUV photoionization in the solar atmosphere
A Brief Review on Syntheses, Structures and Applications of Nanoscrolls
Nanoscrolls are papyrus-like nanostructures which present unique properties
due to their open ended morphology. These properties can be exploited in a
plethora of technological applications, leading to the design of novel and
interesting devices. During the past decade, significant advances in the
synthesis and characterization of these structures have been made, but many
challenges still remain. In this mini review we provide an overview on their
history, experimental synthesis methods, basic properties and application
perspectives
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