The imprint of satellite accretion on the chemical and dynamical properties of disc galaxies

TL;DR

This study uses cosmological simulations to analyze how satellite accretion influences the chemical and dynamical properties of spiral galaxy discs across different evolutionary stages.

Contribution

It introduces a novel approach of assessing satellite impact based on proximity rather than merger trees, revealing distinct phases of galaxy assembly and their effects on disc properties.

Findings

Three assembly phases identified: merger-dominated, quiet, and secular.

Radial motions and satellite star formation cause inverted age-metallicity relations.

Outer disc age profiles are U-shaped due to inside-out growth and radial stellar motions.

Abstract

Aims: We study the effects of the cosmological assembly history on the chemical and dynamical properties of the discs of spiral galaxies as a function of radius. Methods: We make use of the simulated Milky-Way mass, fully-cosmological discs, from {\tt RaDES} (Ramses Disc Environment Study). We analyse their assembly history by examining the proximity of satellites to the galactic disc, instead of their merger trees, to better gauge which satellites impact the disc. We present stellar age and metallicity profiles, Age-Metallicity Relation (AMR), Age-Velocity dispersion Relation (AVR), and Stellar Age Distribution (SAD) in several radial bins for the simulated galaxies. Results: Assembly histories can be divided into three different stages: i) a merger dominated phase, when a large number of mergers with mass ratios of $\sim$1:1 take place (lasting $\sim$3.2$\pm$0.4 Gyr on average); ii) a quieter phase, when $\sim$1:10 mergers take place (lasting $\sim$4.4$\pm$2.0 Gyr) - these two phases are able to kinematically heat the disc and produce a disc that is chemically mixed over its entire radial extension; iii) a "secular" phase where the few mergers that take place have mass ratios below 1:100, and which do not affect the disc properties (lasting $\sim$5.5$\pm$2.0 Gyr). Phase ii ends with a final merger event (at time $t_\mathrm{jump}$) marking the onset of important radial differences in the AMR, AVR, and SAD. Conclusions: Inverted AMR trends in the outer parts of discs, for stars younger than $t_\mathrm{jump}$, are found as the combined effect of radial motions and star formation in satellites temporarily located in these outer parts. "U-shaped" stellar age profiles change to an old plateau ($\sim$10 Gyr) in the outer discs for the entire {\tt RaDES} sample. This shape is a consequence of inside-out growth of the disc, radial motions of disc stars ... [abridged]