Thursday 27 March 2025
A recent study has shed new light on the role of bars in disc galaxies, revealing that they can significantly impact the environmental dependence of various galaxy properties.
Bars are a common feature in many spiral galaxies, including our own Milky Way. They are thought to play a crucial role in shaping the evolution and structure of these galaxies by facilitating the transfer of angular momentum within both the visible and dark matter components. However, until now, it has been unclear whether bars have any influence on the environmental dependence of galaxy properties.
To investigate this question, researchers analyzed data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and the Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (MaNGA) survey. The SDSS is a massive astronomical survey that has mapped the distribution of galaxies in the universe, while MaNGA is a follow-up survey that provides detailed information on the properties of nearby galaxies.
The researchers focused on a subset of 304 galaxies with and without bars, which were selected from the MaNGA survey. They then compared the properties of these galaxies to those of similar galaxies in different environments, such as isolated galaxies, galaxy pairs, and galaxy clusters.
Their analysis revealed that galaxies with bars show a weaker dependence on their environment than galaxies without bars. Specifically, they found that the stellar mass against star formation rate, g −r color against concentration index, and stellar mass against gas phase metallicity of unbarred galaxies all strongly depend on environmental factors such as the presence of nearby galaxies or galaxy clusters.
In contrast, barred galaxies show a much weaker dependence on these environmental factors. This suggests that bars may play a role in decoupling the evolution of galaxies from their surroundings, allowing them to develop and maintain distinct properties regardless of their environment.
These findings have important implications for our understanding of galaxy evolution and the role of bars in shaping the structure and composition of disc galaxies. They also highlight the importance of considering environmental factors when studying galaxy properties and evolution.
In addition, the study’s results may help astronomers better understand the mechanisms that drive star formation and gas consumption in galaxies, as well as the processes that regulate the growth and destruction of bars themselves.
Overall, this research provides valuable insights into the complex interplay between bars and their environment, and sheds new light on the intricate dance between galaxies and their surroundings.
Cite this article: “Bars in Disc Galaxies Influence Environmental Dependence of Galaxy Properties”, The Science Archive, 2025.
Galaxies, Bars, Disc Galaxies, Environmental Dependence, Galaxy Evolution, Star Formation, Gas Consumption, Bar Growth, Galaxy Properties, Galaxy Clusters
