Bibcode
DOI
Balcells, Marc; Quinn, P. J.
Bibliographical reference
Astrophysical Journal, Part 1 (ISSN 0004-637X), vol. 361, Oct. 1, 1990, p. 381-393.
Advertised on:
10
1990
Journal
Citations
142
Refereed citations
125
Description
The mechanism proposed by Kormendy (1984) for the formation of
counterrotating cores in elliptical galaxies is investigated using
self-consistent numerical simulations of mergers between a high- and a
low-luminosity elliptical galaxies. The conditions for a counterrotation
to appear are determined, observational properties of the remnants are
described, and the evolution of the structural and kinematic parameters
of the larger galaxy is analyzed. It is shown that a counterrotation
results only when the merging orbits are retrograde, due to a large
change in the secondary spin during the merger.