The formation of counterrotating cores in elliptical galaxies

Balcells, Marc; Quinn, P. J.
Bibliographical reference

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

Advertised on:
10
1990
Number of authors
2
IAC number of authors
0
Citations
142
Refereed citations
125
Description
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.