Extensions and applications of the iterative method

¹ Laboratoire d’Astrophysique de Marseille (LAM), UMR6110, CNRS/Université de Provence, Technopôle de Marseille-Etoile, 38 rue Frédéric Joliot Curie, 13388 Marseille Cedex 20, France
² Center de recherche INRIA Bordeaux – Sub-Ouest, Bordeaux, 351 Course de la Libération, France
³ Sobolev Astronomical Institute, St. Petersburg State University, Universitetskij pr. 28, 198504 St. Petersburg, Stary Peterhof, Russia
e-mail: astroseger@gmail.com

Received: 18 January 2011
Accepted: 3 March 2011

Abstract

Aims. We aim to develop an algorithm for constructing equilibrium initial conditions for simulations of disk galaxies with a triaxial halo and/or a gaseous component. This will pave the way for N-body simulations of realistic disk galaxies.

Methods. We use the iterative method, which we presented in a previous article. The idea of this method is very simple. It relies on constrained evolution.

Results. We develop an algorithm for constructing equilibrium models of disk galaxies including a gaseous disk and a triaxial or axisymmetric halo. We discuss two test models. The first model consists of a spherical halo, a stellar disk, and an isothermal gaseous disk. The second model consists of a triaxial halo, a stellar disk, and a star-forming gaseous disk. We demonstrate that both test models are very close to equilibrium, as we had intended.