2003/01/31 by F. Bournaud, F. Combes · 171 citations
Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #Accretion (finance) #Astronomy and Astrophysical Research #Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena #Galaxy #Galaxy merger #Polar #Ring (chemistry) #Space Technology and Applications #Star formation #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20030150
published in Astronomy and Astrophysics 401(3), 817-833 (EDP Sciences) · Accepted for publication in A&A. 20 pages, 14 figures. The resolution of several figures has been reduced in this version
arxiv created 2003/02/04 · openalex publication_date 2003/04/01 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Polar ring galaxies are peculiar systems in which a gas-rich, nearly polar ring surrounds an early-type or elliptical host galaxy. Two formation scenarios for these objects have been proposed: they are thought to form either in major galaxy mergers or by tidal accretion of the polar material from a gas rich donor galaxy. Both scenarios are studied through N-body simulations including gas dynamics and star formation. Constraints on physical parameters are drawn out, in order to determine which scenario is the most likely to occur. Polar ring galaxies from each scenario are compared with observations and we discuss whether the accretion scenario and the merging scenario account for observational properties of polar ring galaxies. The conclusion of this study is that the accretion scenario is both the most likely and the most supported by observations. Even if the merging scenario is rather robust, most polar ring galaxies are shown to be the result of tidal gas accretion events.