Forming Disc Galaxies in Major Mergers: Radial Density Profiles and Angular Momentum

In Athanassoula et al. (2016), we used high resolution N-body hydrodynamical simulations to model the major merger between two disc galaxies with a hot gaseous halo each, and showed that the remnant is a spiral galaxy. The two discs are destroyed by the collision, but after the merger, accretion from the surrounding gaseous halo allows the building of a new disc in the remnant galaxy. In Peschken et al. (2017), we used these simulations to study the radial surface density profiles of the remnant galaxies with downbending profiles (type II), i.e. composed of an inner and an outer exponential disc separated by a break. We analyzed the effect of angular momentum on these profiles, and found that the inner and outer disc scalelengths, as well as the break radius, all increase linearly with the total angular momentum of the initial merging system. Following the angular momentum redistribution in our simulations, we find that the disc angular momentum is acquired via accretion from the gaseous halo. Furthermore, high angular momentum systems give more angular momentum to their discs, which affects directly their radial density profile

Formation et évolution des disques galactiques

Cette thèse explore la formation, l’évolution et la structure des galaxies spirales à l’aide de simulations, en mettant l’accent sur le disque. Elle s'appuie sur nos simulations hydrodynamiques à N-corps mettant en scène une fusion majeure entre deux galaxies à disque à haut redshift, chacune en possession d’un halo de gaz chaud. Les disques des progéniteurs sont détruits par la fusion, et un disque étendu se forme dans la galaxie ainsi obtenue à partir d’étoiles nouvellement formées, la formation stellaire étant alimentée par le halo de gaz. A la fin de la simulation, la nouvelle galaxie montre toutes les propriétés d’une galaxie spirale, prouvant pour la première fois avec des simulations comment une galaxie de type tardif peut être créée par une fusion majeure.Dans cette thèse sont analysées plusieurs propriétés des galaxies ainsi obtenues, comme la migration stellaire, la rotation angulaire de la barre, et les profils radiaux de densité surfacique. Ce dernier point en particulier constitue une partie importante de mon travail, le fit de ces profils permettant d'obtenir les grandeurs caractéristiques du disque. Nos disques montrent en effet un profil de type II (troncature vers le bas) dont il est possible d'extraire les longueurs d'échelle et le rayon de troncature. Le but est notamment de chercher ce qui module les valeurs de ces paramètres (ceux-ci étant très différents d'une simulation à l'autre), ainsi que les phénomènes à l'origine de ce profil spécifique. Enfin, certains disques de type III (troncature du profil vers le haut) obtenus pour des simulations de galaxies isolées sont présentés et analysés, afin de comprendre leur provenance.This thesis explores the formation, evolution and structure of spiral galaxies using simulations, with an emphasis on the disc component. It is based on our N-body/SPH simulations involving a major merger between two disc galaxies at high redshift, both in possession of a hot gaseous halo. The discs of the progenitors are destroyed by the merger, and a well-extended disc forms in the remnant galaxy from newly born stars, star formation being fuelled by the gaseous halo. By the end of the simulation, the remnant galaxy shows all the properties of a spiral galaxy, proving for the first time in simulations how a late-type galaxy can be created from a major merger.In this thesis, several properties of the remnant galaxy are analysed, such as the stellar migration, the bar pattern speed, and the surface density radial profiles. This last point in particular represents a significant part of my work, using fits of the profiles to obtain the characteristic parameters of the disc. Our discs show a type II profile (downbending truncation), so that we can derive their scalelengths and truncation radius. The goal is to understand what determines the values of these parameters (which are very different from one simulation to another), as well as the origin of this specific profile. Finally, some type III discs (upbending truncation) obtained for simulations of isolated galaxies are presented and analysed, in order to investigate their formation mechanism

Disc galaxies formed from major mergers in Illustris

International audienceABSTRACT We show how wet major mergers can create disc galaxies in a cosmological context, using the Illustris simulation. We select a sample of 38 disc galaxies having experienced a major merger in their history with no subsequent significant minor merger, and study how they transform into discs after the merger. In agreement with what was previously found in controlled simulations of such mergers, we find that their disc is built gradually from young stars formed after the merger in the disc region, while the old stars born before the merger form an ellipsoidal component. Focusing on one fiducial case from our sample, we show how the gas was initially dispersed in the halo region right after the merger, but is then accreted on to a disc to form stars, and builds the disc component. We then select a sample of major mergers creating elliptical galaxies, to show that those cases correspond mainly to dry mergers, where the lack of star formation prevents the formation of a disc in the remnant galaxy. The amount of gas in the remnant galaxy after the merger is therefore essential to determine the final outcome of a major merger