Galactic bulges: The importance of early formation scenarios vs. secular evolution

Marja K. Seidel, R. Cacho, T. Ruiz-Lara, J. Falcón-Barroso, I. Pérez, P. Sánchez-Blázquez, F. P.A. Vogt, M. Ness, K. Freeman, S. Aniyan

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    Abstract

    We study the stellar content of three galactic bulges with the high resolution gratings (R=7000) of the WiFeS integral field unit in order to better understand their formation and evolution. In all cases we find that at least 50% of the stellar mass already existed 12 Gyrs ago, more than currently predicted by simulations. A younger component (age between ∼1 to ∼8 Gyrs) is also prominent and its present day distribution seems to be much more affected by morphological structures, especially bars, than the older one. This in-depth analysis supports the notion of increasing complexity in bulges which cannot be achieved by mergers alone, but requires a non-negligible contribution from secular evolution.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)163-164
    Number of pages2
    JournalProceedings of the International Astronomical Union
    Volume10
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2014

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