The formation of counterrotating cores in elliptical galaxies

Balcells, Marc; Quinn, P. J.
Referencia bibliográfica

Astrophysical Journal, Part 1 (ISSN 0004-637X), vol. 361, Oct. 1, 1990, p. 381-393.

Fecha de publicación:
10
1990
Número de autores
2
Número de autores del IAC
0
Número de citas
142
Número de citas referidas
125
Descripción
The mechanism proposed by Kormendy (1984) for the formation of counterrotating cores in elliptical galaxies is investigated using self-consistent numerical simulations of mergers between a high- and a low-luminosity elliptical galaxies. The conditions for a counterrotation to appear are determined, observational properties of the remnants are described, and the evolution of the structural and kinematic parameters of the larger galaxy is analyzed. It is shown that a counterrotation results only when the merging orbits are retrograde, due to a large change in the secondary spin during the merger.