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The stellar shells surrounding an elliptical galaxy, as remnants of a dwarf galaxy disrupted during merging, reveal the distribution of energy and angular momentum of the progenitor dwarf galaxy. We develop a semi-analytical model to describe the changes in energy Δ E _i and angular momentum Δ Lz _i for particles during the first infall. We show that these changes, induced by the self-gravity of the progenitor, are important in broadening the initial energy distribution of the Plummer or Hernquist progenitor model. Consequently, these changes are crucial in shaping the shells. In the freefall stage following the disintegration of the progenitor potential, particles are no longer bound by self-gravity but move within the gravitational potential of the target galaxy. We investigate the relationship between the radial period and the energy of particles undergoing radial motion. We show that an accurate model of the energy range of the dwarf galaxy at disruption is essential to predict the number of observable shells.

Galaxies are observed to be lopsided, meaning that they are more massive and more extended along one side than the opposite side. In this work, we provide a statistical analysis of the lopsided morphology of 1780 isolated satellite galaxies generated by the TNG50-1 simulation, incorporating the effect of tidal fields from halo centers. The isolated satellites are galaxies without nearby substructures whose mass is over 1% of the satellites within their virial radii. We study the radial alignment (RA) between the major axes of satellites and the radial direction of their halo centers in radial ranges of 0–2, 2–5, and 5–10 R _h , with R _h being the stellar half-mass radius. According to our results, the RA is virtually undetectable in inner and intermediate regions, yet it is significantly evident in outer regions. We also calculate the far-to-near-side semiaxial ratios of the major axes, denoted by a _− / a _+ , which measure the semiaxial ratios of the major axes in the hemispheres between those facing away from (far side) and facing toward (nearside) halo centers. In all the radial bins of the satellites, the numbers of satellites with longer semiaxes on the far side are found to be almost equal to those with longer semiaxes on the near side. Therefore, the tidal fields from halo centers play a minor role in the generation of lopsided satellites. The long semimajor-axes radial alignment (LRA), i.e., an alignment between the long semimajor axes of satellite galaxies and the radial directions to their halo centers, is further studied. No clear evidence of LRA is found in our sample within the framework of ΛCDM Newtonian dynamics. Finally, we briefly discuss the possible origins of the asymmetry of galaxies in TNG50-1.

Collisional ring galaxies (CRGs) are formed through off-center collisions between a target galaxy and an intruder dwarf galaxy. We study the mass distribution and kinematics of CRGs by tuning the bulge-to-disk mass ratio (B/D) for the progenitor; i.e., the target galaxy. We find that the lifetime of the ring correlates with the initial impact velocity vertical to the disk plane (i.e., vz0). Three orbits for the collisional galaxy pair, on which clear and asymmetric rings form after collisions, are selected to perform the N-body simulations at different values of B/D for the progenitor. It is found that the ring structures are the strongest for CRGs with small values of B/D. The Sérsic index, n, of the central remnant in the target galaxy becomes larger after collision. Moreover, the Sérsic index of a central remnant strongly correlates with the initial value of B/D for the progenitor. A bulge-less progenitor results in a late-type object in the center of the ring galaxy, whereas a bulge-dominated progenitor leads to an early-type central remnant. Progenitors with B/D ∈ [0.1, 0.3] (i.e., minor bulges) leave central remnants with n ≈ 4. These results provide a possible explanation for the formation of a recently observed CRG with an early-type central nucleus, SDSS J1634+2049. In addition, we find that the radial and azimuthal velocity profiles for a ring galaxy are more sensitive to the B/D than the initial relative velocity of the progenitor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the evolution of star clusters located in the outer regions of a galaxy undergoing a sudden mass loss through gas expulsion in the framework of Milgromian dynamics (MOND) by means of N-body simulations. We find that, to leave a bound star cluster, the star formation efficiency (SFE) of an embedded cluster dominated by deep MOND gravity can be reduced down to . For a given SFE, the star clusters that survive in MOND can bind a larger fraction of mass compared to those of the Newtonian dynamics. Moreover, the more diffuse the embedded cluster is, the less substantial the size expansion of the final star cluster is. The density profiles of a surviving star cluster are more cuspy in the center for more massive embedded clusters, and the central density profiles are flatter for less massive embedded clusters or for lower SFE. This work may help to understand the low concentration and extension of the distant low-density globular clusters and ultra-faint and diffuse satellite galaxies around the Milky Way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adopting Schwarzschild’s orbit-superposition technique, we construct a series of self-consistent galaxy models, embedded in the external field of galaxy clusters in the framework of Milgrom’s MOdified Newtonian Dynamics (MOND). These models represent relatively massive ellipticals with a Hernquist radial profile at various distances from the cluster center. Using N-body simulations, we perform a first analysis of these models and their evolution. We find that self-gravitating axisymmetric density models, even under a weak external field, lose their symmetry by instability and generally evolve to triaxial configurations. A kinematic analysis suggests that the instability originates from both box and nonclassified orbits with low angular momentum. We also consider a self-consistent isolated system that is then placed in a strong external field and allowed to evolve freely. This model, just like the corresponding equilibrium model in the same external field, eventually settles to a triaxial equilibrium as well, but has a higher velocity radial anisotropy and is rounder. The presence of an external field in the MOND universe generically predicts some lopsidedness of galaxy shapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SDSS J163459.82+204936.0 is a local (z = 0.1293) infrared-luminous quasar with LIR = 1011.91 . We present a detailed multiwavelength study of both the host galaxy and the nucleus. The host galaxy, appearing as an early-type galaxy in the optical images and spectra, demonstrates violent, obscured star formation activities with SFR ≈ 140 yr−1, estimated from either the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon emission or IR luminosity. The optical to NIR spectra exhibit a blueshifted narrow cuspy component in Hβ, He i λλ5876, 10830, and other emission lines consistently with an offset velocity of ≈900 , as well as additional blueshifting phenomena in high-ionization lines (e.g., a blueshifted broad component of He i λ10830 and the bulk blueshifting of [O iii]λ5007), while there exist blueshifted broad absorption lines (BALs) in Na i D and He i λλ3889, 10830, indicative of the active galactic nucleus outflows producing BALs and emission lines. Constrained mutually by the several BALs in the photoionization simulations with Cloudy, the physical properties of the absorption line outflow are derived as follows: density 104 < nH ≲ 105 cm−3, ionization parameter 10−1.3 ≲ U ≲ 10−0.7 , and column density 1022.5 ≲ NH ≲ 1022.9 cm−2, which are similar to those derived for the emission line outflows. This similarity suggests a common origin. Taking advantages of both the absorption lines and outflowing emission lines, we find that the outflow gas is located at a distance of ∼48–65 pc from the nucleus and that the kinetic luminosity of the outflow is 1044–1046 . J1634+2049 has a off-centered galactic ring on the scale of ∼30 kpc that is proved to be formed by a recent head-on collision by a nearby galaxy for which we spectroscopically measure the redshift. Thus, this quasar is a valuable object in the transitional phase emerging out of dust enshrouding as depicted by the co-evolution scenario invoking galaxy merger (or violent interaction) and quasar feedback. Its proximity enables our further observational investigations in detail (or tests) of the co-evolution paradigm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]