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| Paper: |
Memory in Mergers Major and Minor |
| Volume: |
92, Formation of the Galactic Halo. . . . Inside and Out |
| Page: |
415 |
| Authors: |
Barnes, Joshua E. |
| Abstract: |
Evolution of stellar-dynamical systems is reversible; given enough information on the phase-space structure of a merged system, its past history may be recovered. In mergers of equal-mass galaxies, kinematic memories of the progenitor disks partly survive violent relaxation. Dissipation introduces an irreversible element into galactic mergers, but in practice many stellar memories are left intact. Unequal-mass mergers are less disruptive of primary disks; in 3:1 encounters up to half the remnants retain disk-like kinematics. Accretion of satellite galaxies seems a viable process for producing the stellar halo, and also for heating the thick disk, of the Milky Way galaxy. |
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