The effect of Adiabatic compression on the fundamental plane of bulges

Abstract

This project has used scaling relations and the Fundamental Plane to investigate the phenomenon of bulge compression. Bulge compression takes place as disks grow around bulges. When the bulge is compressed the velocity dispersion of the bulge increases, according to the Virial theorem. This project has found the physical parameters of the uncompressed classical bulges from calculation and simulated data. This project has also found that classical bulges migrate from the scaling relations and the Fundamental Plane for elliptical galaxies during bulge compression. This can be interpreted as the morphological change of disk galaxies from being bulge-like. If a de Vaucouleurs pro_le can be well _tted to uncompressed bulges, then bulge compression would result in a departure from the de Vaucouleurs pro_le to the n = 1 S_ersic pro_le of the underlying disk. Since the uncompressed classical bulges also appear to be more elliptical, these _ndings have implications on our understanding of the kinematic and evolution of galaxies.