Elena D'Onghia, Mark Vogelsberger, Lars Hernquist
The precise nature of spiral structure in galaxies remains uncertain. Recent studies suggest that spiral arms result from interactions between disks and satellite galaxies. Instead, leaving aside the grand bisymmetric spirals, here we consider the possibility that the multi-armed spiral features originate from density inhomogeneities orbiting within disks. Using high-resolution N-body simulations, we follow the motions of stars under the influence of gravity, and show that mass concentrations with properties similar to those of giant molecular clouds can induce the development of spiral arms through a process termed swing amplification. However, unlike in earlier work, we demonstrate that the eventual response of the disk can be highly non-linear, significantly modifying the formation and longevity of the resulting patterns. Contrary to expectations, ragged spiral structures can survive at least in a statistical sense long after the original perturbing influence has been removed. Our findings thus motivate a new interpretation of many phenomena, including disk heating, radial migration, and galaxy pattern speeds.
View original:
http://arxiv.org/abs/1204.0513
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