Could M31 come from a major merger and eject the LMC away?

TL;DR

This paper explores whether M31's features and the Large Magellanic Cloud's position can be explained by a major merger event, using galaxy simulations to reproduce observed structures and dynamics.

Contribution

It presents a novel simulation-based scenario linking M31's merger history to the origin and current position of the LMC.

Findings

Reproduced M31's thick disk and polar ring features.

Provided a possible formation mechanism for the Giant Stream.

Suggested the LMC could have been expelled during the merger.

Abstract

We investigated a scenario in which M31 could be the remnant of a major merger and at the origin of the LMC. Galaxy merger simulations were run in order to reproduce some M31 properties. We succeeded in reproducing some of the most important M31 large-scale features like the thick disk or the polar ring, and gave a possible explanation for the formation of the Giant Stream. We also found that the LMC could be expelled by this high energetic phenomenon.