A high-resolution study of the gas flow in barred spirals
Abstract
The considered investigation is concerned with conditions in that type of spiral galaxy which is known as a 'barred spiral'. The lack of star formation and the smoothness of the dark dust lanes may indicate that the bar region is pervaded by a more homogeneous interstellar medium with a lower viscosity than that characteristic of the outer regions. The effects of such a reduced viscosity are investigated on the basis of high-resolution time-dependent gasdynamical equations. Calculations modeling the gas flow in a given bar potential are presented. The calculations were performed on grids with various mesh sizes and consequently had different resolutions and numerical viscosities. A reduction in the numerical diffusion and viscosity was accompanied by changes in the flow pattern, including the appearance of a strong shock in the bar region and the occurrence of postshock outflow.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- June 1981
- DOI:
- 10.1086/158969
- Bibcode:
- 1981ApJ...246..740V
- Keywords:
-
- Barred Galaxies;
- Galactic Structure;
- Gas Dynamics;
- Gas Flow;
- Interstellar Gas;
- Boundary Value Problems;
- Computational Fluid Dynamics;
- Flow Distribution;
- Galactic Nuclei;
- High Resolution;
- Mathematical Models;
- Shock Waves;
- Time Dependence;
- Two Dimensional Flow;
- Viscosity;
- Astronomy