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Session 2 - Spiral, Irregular and Elliptical Galaxies.
Display session, Monday, June 09
South Main Hall,
We are creating computer simulations of NGC 4258 to investigate the hypothesis that anomalous arms seen in this galaxy are created by a jet emitted by a massive black hole. We are working with two models with jets firing into the plane of the galaxy. The first model is a two-dimensional cross section looking at the galaxy edge-on. The second model is a two-dimensional cross section from above the plane of the galaxy. These models will be simulated with a time-dependant hydrodynamics code (VH-1) on a supercomputer at the North Carolina Supercomputing Center. If we find that the jets do not remain in the plane of the galaxy for at least 2 kpc. in the edge-on cross section model, then the theory that the shock fronts are created by a bar in the spiral galaxy will be supported. If, however, the jets remain in the plane of the galaxy, then we can explore the theory that the shock fronts are formed by the jets' interaction with the galactic medium from the second cross section model.
