Galaxy Secular Mass Flow Rate Determination Using the Potential-Density Phase Shift Approach: Application to Six Nearby Spiral Galaxies

TL;DR

This study estimates radial mass flow rates in six nearby spiral galaxies using the potential-density phase shift approach, revealing significant stellar and gas redistribution that influences galaxy evolution along the Hubble sequence.

Contribution

It introduces a novel application of the potential-density phase shift method to measure mass flow rates, highlighting the dominant role of stellar mass redistribution in galaxy secular evolution.

Findings

Angular momentum exchange rates are higher than previous estimates.

Density wave modes induce substantial mass redistribution within galaxy disks.

Stellar mass accretion/excretion is often more significant than gaseous processes.

Abstract

Using the potential-density phase shift approach developed by the present authors in earlier publications, we estimate the magnitude of radial mass accretion/excretion rates across the disks of six nearby spiral galaxies having a range of Hubble types. Our goal is to examine these rates in the context of bulge building and secular morphological evolution along the Hubble sequence. Stellar surface density maps of the sample galaxies are derived from SINGS 3.6um and SDSS i-band images. Corresponding molecular and atomic gas surface densities are derived from published CO(1-0) and HI interferometric observations of the BIMA SONG, THINGS, and VIVA surveys. The mass flow rate calculations utilize a volume-type torque integral to calculate the angular momentum exchange rate between the basic state disk matter and density wave modes. The potential-density phase shift approach yields angular momentum transport rates several times higher than those estimated using the Lynden-Bell and Kalnajs (1972) approach. The current approach leads to predictions of significant mass redistribution induced by the quasi-steady density wave modes, enough for the morphological types of disks to evolve substantially within its lifetime. This difference with the earlier conclusions of Lynden-Bell and Kalnajs reflects the dominant role played by collisionless shocks in the secular evolution of galaxies containing extremely non-linear, quasi-steady density wave modes, thus enabling significant morphological transformation along the Hubble sequence during a Hubble time. We show for the first time also, using observational data, that STELLAR mass accretion/excretion is just as important, and oftentimes much more important, than the corresponding accretion/excretion processes in the GASEOUS component, with the latter being what had been emphasized in most of the previous secular evolution studies.