Spin Flips: Variation in the Orientation of Dark Matter Halos over their Merger Histories

Abstract

Semi-analytic models of galaxy formation typically form the spheroidal components of galaxies ("bulges"), solely through galactic major mergers. However, it is possible that non-merger events (e.g. a "fly-by" by a smaller halo) can perturb a galaxy--halo system sufficiently to form a bulge. We present a preliminary investigation into the frequency of major changes in halo and galaxy spin direction, which could be signatures of such events.

arXiv comment2 pages, 2 figures, to appear in "Hunting for the Dark: The Hidden Side of Galaxy Formation", Malta, 19-23 Oct. 2009, eds. V.P. Debattista & C.C. Popescu, AIP Conf. Ser., in press

Cited by in corpus (2)

• Spin flips I: Evolution of the angular momentum orientation of Milky Way-mass dark matter haloes
• Spin Flips - II. Evolution of dark matter halo spin orientation, and its correlation with major mergers