Galactic Dynamics

& Evolution

Derive expressions for intensity, density, mass, and

gravitational potential profiles of a galaxy using the
observational known facts (Tully-Fisher and Faber-Jackson
Relations) and Dehnen model.
 m(r)
Dehnen Model
r(r)

I(r)

Tully-Fisher relationship
Faber-Jackson relation F(r)
Jaffe model
 Spiral galaxies have much gas within their discs, with dust,
which amounts to 1-20% of their visible mass.
Gaseous region indicates active star forming region. The discs
contain stars having a range of ages as a result of this
continuing star formation.
Discs rotate, with the stars and gas in near-circular orbits
close to the plane, having circular velocities 200 to 250 km/s.
The discs' surface brightness decreases exponentially with
radial distance R from the centre, i.e.,

where I0 = 102Lsun/pc2 is the central surface brightness, and R0

is a scale length for the decline in brightness. The scale length
R0 is ~ 3.5 kpc for the Milky Way.
Observations show that there is a correlation between
luminosity L and the maximum rotational velocity vrot of the
disc for spiral galaxies. The relationship is found to be close to
2

This is known as the Tully-Fisher relationship. It allows to

calculate luminosity L from the rotational velocity vrot using
optical or radio spectroscopy. A comparison of the luminosity
and the observed brightness gives the distance to the galaxy.
In elliptical, surface brightness distributions are more
centrally concentrated than those of spirals. The surface
brightness, as suggested by de Vaucouleurs model is,

3
 3

with I0 = 105Lsunpc-2 for giant ellipticals.

I0 = 102Lsun/pc2 I0 = 105Lsunpc-2
Observations show that there is a correlation between three
important observational parameters for spiral galaxies. These
quantities are the scale size R0, the central surface brightness
I0, and the central velocity dispersion s0. The observations
show that
4

Faber-Jackson found that for both spiral and elliptical galaxies,

5

Consider an element of the path length dl at a distance l from

the point on the line-of-sight closest to the nucleus. Let the
contribution to the surface brightness from the element be
6

where k is a constant of proportionality.

The angle made by line of sight and the line element dl is q.

Therefore, equation (6) takes this form:

8

Integrating along the line of sight from B (r = R) to infinity

(r→∞),

9
This has neglected the near side of the galaxy. From
symmetry, the total surface brightness along the line of sight
is I(R) = 2 IB∞(R).

10

In general, the density profile of a galaxy will not be spherical

and we need to take account of the profile r(r) as a function
of position vector r.
The calculation of the surface brightness profile from the
density profile is straightforward numerically, if not always
analytically. The inverse problem, converting from an
observed surface brightness profile to a density profile, often
has to be done numerically.
 Dehnen Models of the Density Distribution
A family of radial density profiles r(r) that have been popular
for the theoretical modeling of spherically symmetric galaxies
is called Dehnen models. According to this, density profiles is,

11

where r is the radial distance from the centre of the galaxy, q

is an adjustable parameter, a is a scaling constant
(determining the size of the galaxy), and Mtot is the total
mass. The special case of q = 1, called the Jaffe model, which
is important because it is found to fit the observed I(R) of
ellipticals at least, as well as the de Vaucouleurs R1/4 profile.
The Dehnen models have an interesting limit as q→0.
Consider a thin spherical shell of radius r’ and thickness dr’
concentric with the galaxy. The mass of the shell will be
12

Integrating from the centre of the galaxy (r’ = 0) to radial

distance r,
 13

Using the standard integral

Equation (13) takes this form:

This gives the required result (for all q ≠ 0). 14

We can determine the gravitational potential G(r) at a

distance r from the centre of the galaxy by considering a test
particle and determining the potential energy of the particle.
Let the particle have a small mass m. When the particle is at a
distance r from the centre of the galaxy its potential energy
will be,
15

We can now determine Vp by considering the work done W in

moving the particle from a point A at a distance r from the
centre out to infinity: the potential energy is Vp = -W.
Imagine moving the particle from point A radially outwards.
When it is at a distance r0 from the centre, the force on the
particle is
16

Consider moving the particle a further distance dr0 from the

centre.
Work done in moving this extra distance dr0 is dW’ = Fp dr’.

Integrating from A to infinity (r’ = r to r’ →∞),

From equation (14)

Putting q = 1 for the Jaffe model,
17
 17

This can be solved using partial fraction method:

18
But the potential energy of the particle at r is Vp = -W,
so F(r) = Vp/m = -W/m. This gives

19

for the potential at a radius r in the Jaffe (q = 1) model.

If q → 0, the density profile gives r = 0 for r > 0. However,
20

So q → 0 implies that all the mass Mtot is concentrated at the

centre: it corresponds to a point mass.
All these formulations are basically due to the interaction between
gases and radiation field in intergalactic medium. Since star is collision-
less fluid, we need collision-less Boltzmann Equation to derive Jeans
Equation and hence Equation of continuity.
 Spirals Property Ellipticals
1011 to 1012 Solar Masses MASS 106 to 1012 Solar Masses
1010 to 1012 Solar 106 to 1012 Solar
TOTAL LUMINOSITY
Luminosities Luminosities
10 to 100 kiloparsecs ACTUAL DIAMETER 1 to 100 kiloparsecs
blue in the arms,
COLOR mostly red
red in the center
all kinds TYPES OF STAR mostly red, low mass stars
metal-poor in the halo,
solar-type metal METALLICITY metal-poor throughout
abundances in the disk
much in arms,
GAS AND DUST very little to none
little in halo
rigid body in bulge,
random motion
constant speed in disk, "ROTATION"
throughout
random in halo
11/18/2019 Galaxy 16
 Hubble's tuning fork diagram: Evolution of Galaxies

11/18/2019 Galaxy 17
The Formation of
the Galaxy

Milky Way
Some stars in the Galaxy, such as those in the thick disc and
bulge, and particularly in the halo, are old. The oldest stars
were formed relatively early in the history of the Universe,
indicating that the Galaxy had a relatively early origin.

There are two main scenarios for the formation of the

Galaxy:
 monolithic collapse model, and
 merging of subunits.

MONOLITHIC COLLAPSE MODEL

The monolithic collapse model was developed in the 1960s,
particularly by Eggen, Lynden-Bell and Sandage.

In this picture, the Galaxy formed by the collapse of a

protogalactic cloud of gas that had some net angular momentum.
In this picture, Galaxy formed by the collapse of a
protogalactic cloud of gas that had net angular momentum.
The gas initially had a very low metallicity. The collapse
occurred mostly in the radial direction and some modest star
formation occurred during this time.
This produced very metal-poor stars with randomly-oriented
elongated, which today are observed as the stellar halo.
The gas settled into a broad rotating disc, by this time
moderately metal-poor as a result of the enrichment of the
gas by the heavy elements created by halo stars.
The rotation was the result of the net angular momentum of
the protogalactic cloud.
Star formation in this cooling, settling disc produced thick disc
stars which are rotationally supported but have an
appreciable velocity dispersion.
Star formation in this cooling, settling disc produced thick disc
stars which are rotationally supported but have an
appreciable velocity dispersion.
The gas continued to settle into a thinner, stable, rotating
disc. Residual gas that fell to the central regions formed the
bulge stars. Star formation continued in the gas disc at a
gradual rate, building up the stars of the thin disc.

This model explained the fast rotation of disc stars with their
near-solar metallicities, and the randomly orientated orbits of
halo stars with their very low metallicities and great ages.
 MERGING OF SUBUNITS
The merging scenario instead maintained that the Galaxy was
built up by the merging and accretion of subunits. It was first
developed by Searle & Zinn in 1977 for the stellar halo.
The merging model is strongly supported by detailed
computer simulations of galaxy formation. These simulations
predict that the primordial material from the Big Bang
clumped into large numbers of dark matter haloes that also
contained gas.

These small haloes then merged through their mutual

gravitational attraction, building up larger haloes in the
process. The gas formed some stars in these dark matter
clumps.
A large number of these subunits produced our Galaxy, with
the gas settling into a rotating disc as a natural consequence
of the dissipative, collisional nature of the gas.

Star formation in the disc then formed the disc stars. The stars
of the Galactic stellar halo may have come from the accretion
of subunits that had already formed some stars.
Mergers certainly played an important role in the formation
and subsequent evolution of the Galaxy.
 Physics of
Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation
Galaxy Rotation Curve
LCDM & Hierarchy Model
HW