The influence of the environment on bar formation

TL;DR

This study investigates how galaxy environment influences bar formation, finding that bar fractions are similar across different environments, suggesting internal processes are more critical than external factors.

Contribution

It provides the first extensive comparison of barred galaxy fractions across various environments, highlighting the dominance of internal galaxy processes in bar formation.

Findings

Bar fractions are similar in field, Virgo, and Coma cluster galaxies.

External environment has limited impact on bar formation.

Internal galaxy processes likely play a key role in bar development.

Abstract

Galaxy mergers and interactions are mechanisms which could drive the formation of bars. Therefore, we could expect that the fraction of barred galaxies increases with the local density. Here we show the first results of an extensive search for barred galaxies in different environments. We conclude that the bar fraction on bright (L>L*) field, Virgo, and Coma cluster galaxies is compatible. These results point towards an scenario where the formation and/or evolution of bars depend mostly on internal galaxy processes rather than external ones.