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Issue A&A Volume 372, Number 3, June IV 2001 Page(s) 784 - 792 Section Cosmology (including clusters of galaxies) DOI 10.1051/0004-6361:20010571

A&A 372, 784-792 (2001)
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:20010571

Periodic orbits in warped disks

Y. Revaz and D. Pfenniger

Geneva Observatory, University of Geneva, 1290 Sauverny, Switzerland

(Received 22 November 2000 / Accepted 9 April 2001 )

Abstract
It is often assumed that a warped galaxy can be modeled by a set of rings. This paper verifies numerically the validity of this assumption by the study of periodic orbits populating a heavy self-gravitating warped disk. The phase space structure of a warped model reveals that the circular periodic orbits of a flat disk are transformed in quasi annular periodic orbits which conserve their stability. This lets us also explore the problem of the persistence of a large outer warp. In particular, the consistency of its orbits with the density distribution is checked as a function of the pattern speed.

Key words: galaxies: kinematics and dynamics of galaxies -- galaxies: spiral

Offprint request: Y. Revaz, Yves.Revaz@obs.unige.ch

© ESO 2001

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