Identikit 2: An Algorithm for Reconstructing Galactic Collisions

Abstract

Using a combination of self-consistent and test-particle techniques, Identikit 1 provided a way to vary the initial geometry of a galactic collision and instantly visualize the outcome. Identikit 2 uses the same techniques to define a mapping from the current morphology and kinematics of a tidal encounter back to the initial conditions. By requiring that various regions along a tidal feature all originate from a single disc with a unique orientation, this mapping can be used to derive the initial collision geometry. In addition, Identikit 2 offers a robust way to measure how well a particular model reproduces the morphology and kinematics of a pair of interacting galaxies. A set of eight self-consistent simulations is used to demonstrate the algorithm's ability to search a ten-dimensional parameter space and find near-optimal matches; all eight systems are successfully reconstructed.

14 pages, 8 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRAS. To get a copy with high-resolution figures, use the web interface, or download the Identikit software, visit http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/faculty/barnes/research/identikit/

References in corpus (3)

• Orbital Parameters of Merging Dark Matter Halos
• Template Rotation Curves for Disk Galaxies
• Identikit 1: A Modeling Tool for Interacting Disk Galaxies

Cited by in corpus (13)

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• The HI environment of the M101 group
• Galaxy Zoo: Mergers - Dynamical Models of Interacting Galaxies
• The symmetries and scaling of tidal tails in galaxies
• Simulated Galaxy Interactions as Probes of Merger Spectral Energy Distributions
• Dynamics and Shocks from H$\alpha$ Emission of Nearby Galaxy Mergers
• Determination of the relative inclination and the viewing angle of an interacting pair of galaxies using convolutional neural networks
• Modeling the Initial Conditions of Interacting Galaxy Pairs Using Identikit
• Lagrangian Volume Deformations around Simulated Galaxies
• HI vs. H$\alpha$ - Comparing the Kinematic Tracers in Modeling the Initial Conditions of the Mice
• A Mean-Field Approach to Simulating the Merging of Collisionless Stellar Systems Using a Particle-Based Method