Galaxy Collisions and Star Formation

Theories of how galaxies, the fundamental constituents of large-scale structure, form and evolve have undergone a dramatic paradigm shift in the last few decades. Earlier views were of rapid, early collapse and formation of basic structures, followed by slow evolution of the stellar populations and steady buildup of the chemical elements. Current theories emphasize hierarchical buildup via recurrent collisions and mergers, separated by long periods of relaxation and secular r...

We summarize the results of numerical simulations of colliding gas-rich disk galaxies in which the impact velocity is set parallel to the spin axes of the two galaxies. The effects of varying the impact speed are studied with particular attention to the resulting gaseous structures and shockwave patterns, and the time needed to produce these structures. The simulations employ an N-body treatment of the stars and dark matter, together with an SPH treatment of the gas, in which...

The study of colliding galaxies has progressed rapidly in the last few years, driven by observations with powerful new ground and space-based instruments. These instruments have used for detailed studies of specific nearby systems, statistical studies of large samples of relatively nearby systems, and increasingly large samples of high redshift systems. Following a brief summary of the historical context, this review attempts to integrate these studies to address the followin...

The amount, timing and ultimate location of mass transfer and induced star formation in galaxy collisions are sensitive functions of orbital and galaxy structural parameters. I discuss the role of detailed case studies and describe the results for two systems, Arp 284 and NGC 2207/IC 2163, that have been studied with both multiwaveband observations, and detailed dynamical models. The models yield the mass transfer and compressional histories of the encounters and the ``probab...

We studied the formation process of star clusters using high-resolution N-body/smoothed particle hydrodynamcs simulations of colliding galaxies. The total number of particles is 1.2x10^8 for our high resolution run. The gravitational softening is 5 pc and we allow gas to cool down to \sim 10 K. During the first encounter of the collision, a giant filament consists of cold and dense gas found between the progenitors by shock compression. A vigorous starburst took place in the ...

We investigated the evolution of interacting disk galaxies using high-resolution $N$-body/SPH simulations, taking into account the multiphase nature of the interstellar medium (ISM). In our high-resolution simulations, a large-scale starburst occurred naturally at the collision interface between two gas disks at the first encounter, resulting in the formation of star clusters. This is consistent with observations of interacting galaxies. The probability distribution function ...

In this talk, I report results from galaxy merger simulations, which suggest the existence of a ring of star formation produced by close galaxy encounters. This is a generic feature of all galaxy interactions, provided that the disc spins are sufficiently aligned. This signature can be used to identify close galaxy pairs that have actually suffered a close interaction.

A number of theoretical and simulation results on star and structure formation in galaxy interactions and mergers is reviewed, and recent hydrodynamic simulations are presented. The role of gravity torques and ISM turbulence in galaxy interactions, in addition to the tidal field, is highlighted. Interactions can drive gas inflows towards the central kpc and trigger a central starburst, the intensity and statistical properties of which are discussed. A kinematically decoupled ...

We have undertaken a large set of simulations of galaxy interactions and mergers (GalMer Project) in order to study the physical processes related to galaxy encounters. All morphological types along the Hubble sequence are considered in the initial conditions of the two colliding galaxies, with varying bulge-to-disk ratios and gas mass fractions. Different types of orbits are simulated, direct and retrograde, according to the initial relative energy and impact parameter. The ...

Young, massive star clusters are the most notable and significant end products of violent star-forming episodes triggered by galaxy collisions, mergers, and close encounters. Their contribution to the total luminosity induced by such extreme conditions dominates, by far, the overall energy output due to the gravitationally-induced star formation. The general characteristics of these newly-formed clusters (such as their masses, luminosities, and sizes) suggest that at least a ...