Dynamics and Interactions of High-Redshift Galaxies

Abstract

A large number of high redshift galaxies observed with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) show anomalous morphology and photometric properties, which may be an indication of evolutionary process in young galaxies. We show here by means of numerical simulations that the copious interstellar gas existing in the disks of rapidly collapsing protogalaxies can bring about these peculiarities. Gravitational instability in a gas-rich disk leads to the formation of massive gas clumps with a typical mass of 109M⊙. These subgalactic clumps make disk galaxy evolution a dynamically energetic and chaotic process, and give a natural explanation for peculiar morphology of high redshift galaxies. Moreover, the present model provides a new picture on the causal relationship between the emergence of quasar activities and the dynamical evolution of host galaxies. The clump-driven evolution model is also capable of explaining the correlations observed among present-day galaxies. Namely, the relative bulge dominance, existence of a thick disk, and a mass of the super-massive black hole situated at the galactic center should all be correlated positively. In contrast to their vigorous evolution in isolated state, primeval disk galaxies do not show any dramatic enhancement of activity or remarkable dynamical response in interaction with another galaxies.