Numerical simulation of galaxy collisions

• Grant number: 23/06691-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2023
• End date: July 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Astronomy - Extragalactic Astrophysics
• Principal Investigator: Gastão Cesar Bierrenbach Lima Neto
• Grantee: Carlos Augusto Moreira Coelho
• Host Institution: Instituto de Astronomia, Geofísica e Ciências Atmosféricas (IAG). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The main goal of this "Scientific Initiation" work is the study of collisions of galaxies of comparable masses through numerical simulations. Collisions, in many cases followed by mergers, play a fundamental role in the formation and morphological evolution of galaxies. Collisions and mergers of galaxies of comparable masses can destroy stellar disks of spiral galaxies, form late-type galaxies, stimulate bursts of star formation, and tear off and scatter galactic material. In this work, the student will learn how to model these interacting systems (generate initial conditions and simulate their dynamic evolution) and analyze them. The systems that will be simulated will be chosen from the catalogs of Arp (1966} and Darg et al. (2010), which have publicly available images from the SDSS and DESI Legacy Survey.