Issue |
A&A
Volume 399, Number 3, March I 2003
|
|
---|---|---|
Page(s) | 957 - 960 | |
Section | Galactic structure, stellar clusters, and populations | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20021876 | |
Published online | 14 February 2003 |
Chaotic orbits in a galaxy model with a massive nucleus
Department of Physics, Section of Astrophysics, Astronomy and Mechanics, University of Thessaloniki, 540 06 Thessaloniki, Greece
Corresponding author: N. D. Caranicolas, caranic@astro.auth.gr
Received:
25
October
2002
Accepted:
15
November
2002
The transition from regular to chaotic motion is studied
in an axially symmetric galaxy model with a disk-halo and a spherical
nucleus. This model has the characteristic that the mass of the nucleus
increases exponentially, because mass is transported from the disk to
the nucleus while the total mass of the galaxy remains constant. Stars
with values of angular momentum Lz less or equal to a critical value
, moving near the galactic plane, are scattered to the halo when
approaching the nucleus. The corresponding orbits are chaotic. A linear
relationship is found to exist between the critical angular momentum
and the final mass of the nucleus Mnf. Our results suggest that the
stars in the central regions of disk galaxies with massive nuclei must
be in chaotic orbits. Comparison with previous work is also made.
Key words: galaxies: kinematics and dynamics
© ESO, 2003
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