Hydrodynamic simulations of the triaxial bulge of M 31

Theoretical Physics, University of Oxford, 1 Keble Road, Oxford, UK

Received: 22 January 2001
Accepted: 9 March 2001

Abstract

The interstellar gas flow in the inner disk of M 31 is modelled using a new, two dimensional, grid based, hydrodynamics code. The potential of the stellar bulge is derived from its surface brightness profile. The bulge is assumed to be triaxial and rotating in the same plane as the disk in order to explain the twisted nature of M 31's central isophotes and the non circular gas velocities in the inner disk. Results are compared with CO observations and the bulge is found to be a fast rotator with a B-band mass-to-light ratio, = 6.5 ± 0.8, and a ratio of co-rotation radius to bulge semi-major axis, = 1.2 ± 0.1, implying that any dark halo must have a low density core in contradiction to the predictions of CDM. These conclusions would be strengthened by further observations confirming the model's off axis CO velocity predictions.