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| Paper: |
Star Formation Efficiency in Galaxy Interactions and Mergers: A Statistical Study |
| Volume: |
390, Pathways Through an Eclectic Universe |
| Page: |
178 |
| Authors: |
Di Matteo, P.; Combes, F.; Melchior, A.L.; Semelin, B. |
| Abstract: |
We investigate the enhancement of star formation efficiency in galaxy interactions and mergers by numerical simulations of several hundred galaxy collisions. Only major mergers are considered in this study. Our principal results are: (1) the amount of gas available in the galaxy is not the main parameter governing the star formation efficiency in the burst phase, (2) there is a negative correlation between the amplitude of the star-forming burst and the tidal forces exerted per unit of time, which is due to the large amount of gas dragged out of the galaxy by tidal tails in strong interactions, and (3) mergers are not always starburst triggers, and they do not always convert high gas mass quantities into new stars. |
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