Collisions of young disc galaxies in the early universe

TL;DR

This study investigates minor collisions between young, clumpy disc galaxies and satellites in the early universe, revealing a new type of ring structure that explains recent observations of empty rings at high redshift.

Contribution

It introduces a systematic analysis of collisions involving clumpy, young galaxies, uncovering a novel ring formation mechanism distinct from local universe phenomena.

Findings

Formation of thick, knotty rings without nuclei in young galaxy collisions

Clumpy state persists longer than in isolated galaxies

Provides explanation for observed empty ring galaxy at z=2.19

Abstract

In the local universe, disc galaxies are generally well evolved and Toomre stable. Their collisions with satellite galaxies naturally produce ring structures, which has been observed and extensively studied. In contrast, at high redshifts, disc galaxies are still developing and clumpy. These young galaxies interact with each other more frequently. However, the products of their collisions remain elusive. Here we systematically study the minor collisions between a clumpy galaxy and a satellite on orbits with different initial conditions, and find a new structure that is different from the local collisional ring galaxies. The clumpness of the target galaxy is fine-tuned by the values of Toomre parameter, $Q$. Interestingly, a thick and knotty ring structure is formed without any sign of a central nucleus in the target galaxy. Our results provide a promising explanation of the empty ring galaxy recently observed in R5519 at redshift $z=2.19$. Moreover, we show that the clumpy state of the collided galaxy exists for a much longer timescale, compared to isolated self-evolved clumpy galaxies that have been widely investigated.