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Orbital structure of self-consistent cuspy triaxial stellar systems

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Abstract

We used a multipolar code to create, through dissipationless collapses of systems of 106 particles, two cuspy self-consistent triaxial stellar systems with γ ≈ 1. One of the systems has an axial ratio similar to that of an E4 galaxy and it is only mildly triaxial (T = 0.914), while the other one is strongly triaxial (T = 0.593) and its axial ratio lies in between those of Hubble types E5 and E6. Both models rotate although their total angular momenta are zero, i.e., they exhibit figure rotation. The angular velocity is very small for the less triaxial model and, while it is larger for the more triaxial one, it is still comparable to that found by Muzzio (Celest Mech Dynam Astron 96(2):85–97, 2006) to affect only slightly the dynamics of a similar model. Except for minor evolution, probably caused by unavoidable relaxation effects of the N-body code, the systems are highly stable. The potential of each system was subsequently approximated with interpolating formulae yielding smooth potentials, stationary in frames that rotate with the models. The Lyapunov exponents could then be computed for randomly selected samples of the bodies that make up the two systems, allowing the recognition of regular and of partially and fully chaotic orbits. Finally, the regular orbits were Fourier analyzed and classified using their locations on the frequency map. Most of the orbits are chaotic, and by a wide margin: less than 30% of the orbits are regular in our most triaxial model. Regular orbits are dominated by tubes, long axis ones in the less triaxial model and short axis tubes in the more triaxial one. Most of the boxes are resonant (i.e., they are boxlets), as could be expected from cuspy systems.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas, Instituto de Astrofísica de La Plata (CONICET La Plata–UNLP), Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina

    J. C. Muzzio

  2. Instituto de Física de Rosario (CONICET-UNR), Observatorio Astronómico Municipal de Rosario and Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Ingeniería y Agrimensura de la Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina

    H. D. Navone & A. F. Zorzi

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  1. J. C. Muzzio
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  2. H. D. Navone
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  3. A. F. Zorzi
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Correspondence to J. C. Muzzio.

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Muzzio, J.C., Navone, H.D. & Zorzi, A.F. Orbital structure of self-consistent cuspy triaxial stellar systems. Celest Mech Dyn Astr 105, 379–395 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10569-009-9241-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10569-009-9241-2

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