Testing for relics of past strong buckling events in edge-on galaxies: Simulation predictions and data from S4G

Abstract

The short-lived buckling instability is responsible for the formation of at least some box/peanut (B/P) shaped bulges, which are observed in most massive, z = 0, barred galaxies. Nevertheless, it has also been suggested that B/P bulges form via the slow trapping of stars onto vertically extended resonant orbits. The key difference between these two scenarios is that when the bar buckles, symmetry about the mid-plane is broken for a period of time. We use a suite of simulations (with and without gas) to show that when the buckling is sufficiently strong, a residual mid-plane asymmetry persists for several Gyrs after the end of the buckling phase, and is visible in simulation images. On the other hand, images of B/P bulges formed through resonant trapping and/or weak buckling remain symmetric about the mid-plane. We develop two related diagnostics to identify and quantify mid-plane asymmetry in simulation images of galaxies that are within 3○ of edge-on orientation, allowing us to test whether the presence of a B/P-shaped bulge can be explained by a past buckling event. We apply our diagnostics to two nearly edge-on galaxies with B/P bulges from the Spitzer Survey of Stellar Structure in Galaxies, finding no mid-plane asymmetry, implying these galaxies formed their bulges either by resonant trapping or by buckling more than ∼5 Gyr ago. We conclude that the formation of B/P bulges through strong buckling may be a rare event in the past ∼5 Gyr.