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Gasdynamics and Starbursts in Major Mergers

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Paper breakdownThe authors' claims, conditions and measurements, as JSON Signed receiptProof this review has not been altered
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Chris Mihos (UCSC, JHU), Lars Hernquist (UCSC)

Astrophysics · Submitted 14 Dec 1995

abstract compiled · 2026-09-23 · no language-model review

The authors' main claim Our results imply that the internal structure of the merging galaxies, rather than orbital geometry, may be the key factor in producing ultraluminous infrared galaxies.

how it is stated · hedged possibility 1.00 read the record →

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arXiv IDastro-ph/9512099 (version 1)
Pith IDRLSVKYDF, Pith's permanent record of this paper and its review
CitationChris Mihos (UCSC, JHU), Lars Hernquist (UCSC). "Gasdynamics and Starbursts in Major Mergers." arXiv:astro-ph/9512099 (1995). https://pith.science/paper/RLSVKYDF
Claim paper

The compiled record

The paper's own sentences, arranged. Each label is drawn from a closed vocabulary; the number beside it is the probability the classifier gave that label. Numbers in the tables are the authors', checked by code. No sentence in this record was written by a model.

Open the compiled record

Compiled by classifier-1.13-20260917 via OpenRouter, question bank abstract-p1-20260923, 2026-09-23: 1 request, 7,646 input tokens, $0.0003 reported.

What the abstract itself states, as probabilities: claims first 0.02 · states limitation 0.17 · human participants 0.01 · controlled comparison 0.64 · randomized assignment 0.01 · states quantitative result 0.95 · compares with prior results 0.43 · mentions code or data availability 0.02.

The abstract, sentence by sentence

arXiv listing abstract v1. Results and the main claim are underlined; .

Using numerical simulation, we study the development of gaseous inflows and triggering of starburst activity in mergers of comparable-mass disk galaxies. In all encounters studied, the galaxies experience strong gaseous inflows and moderate to intense starburst activity. We find that galaxy structure plays a dominant role in regulating activity. The gaseous inflows are strongest when galaxies with dense central bulges are in the final stages of merging, while inflows in bulgeless galaxies are weaker and occur earlier in the interaction. Orbital geometry plays only a relatively modest role in the onset of collisionally-induced activity. Through an analysis of the torques acting on the gas, we show that these inflows are generally driven by gravitational torques from the host galaxy (rather than the companion), and that dense bulges act to stabilize galaxies against bar modes and inflow until the galaxies merge, at which point rapidly varying gravitational torques drive strong dissipation and inflow of gas in the merging pair. The strongest inflows (and associated starburst activity) develop in co-planar encounters, while the activity in inclined mergers is somewhat less intense and occurs slightly later during the merger. The starbursts which develop in mergers of galaxies with central bulges represent an increase in the star formation rate of two orders of magnitude over that in isolated galaxies. We find that the gaseous and stellar morphology and star-forming properties of these systems provide a good match to those of observed ultraluminous infrared galaxies. Our results imply that the internal structure of the merging galaxies, rather than orbital geometry, may be the key factor in producing ultraluminous infrared galaxies.

background contribution method result interpretation main claim

What the classifier reports for each sentence. The number is the probability it gave the label.
#sentencerolethe authors' own workstates the main conclusionstrength
s0 Using numerical simulation, we study the development of gaseous inflows and triggering of starburst activity in mergers of comparable-mass disk galaxies. contribution 0.92 0.95 0.03 asserted 0.75
s1 In all encounters studied, the galaxies experience strong gaseous inflows and moderate to intense starburst activity. result 1.00 0.88 0.08 asserted 1.00
s2 We find that galaxy structure plays a dominant role in regulating activity. result 0.98 0.93 0.54 asserted 1.00
s3 The gaseous inflows are strongest when galaxies with dense central bulges are in the final stages of merging, while inflows in bulgeless galaxies are weaker and occur earlier in the interaction. result 1.00 0.93 0.18 asserted 1.00
s4 Orbital geometry plays only a relatively modest role in the onset of collisionally-induced activity. result 1.00 0.87 0.08 asserted 1.00
s5 Through an analysis of the torques acting on the gas, we show that these inflows are generally driven by gravitational torques from the host galaxy (rather than the companion), and that dense bulges act to stabilize galaxies against bar modes and inflow until the galaxies merge, at which point rapidly varying gravitational torques drive strong dissipation and inflow of gas in the merging pair. result 0.73 0.96 0.25 asserted 1.00
s6 The strongest inflows (and associated starburst activity) develop in co-planar encounters, while the activity in inclined mergers is somewhat less intense and occurs slightly later during the merger. result 1.00 0.93 0.07 asserted 1.00
s7 The starbursts which develop in mergers of galaxies with central bulges represent an increase in the star formation rate of two orders of magnitude over that in isolated galaxies. result 1.00 0.91 0.10 asserted 1.00
s8 We find that the gaseous and stellar morphology and star-forming properties of these systems provide a good match to those of observed ultraluminous infrared galaxies. result 0.96 0.93 0.10 asserted 0.99
s9 Our results imply that the internal structure of the merging galaxies, rather than orbital geometry, may be the key factor in producing ultraluminous infrared galaxies. interpretation 1.00 0.80 0.80 hedged possibility 1.00

What kind of paper the classifier reports this is: simulation study 1.00 · evidence from simulation or computation 1.00.

What was examined, and what was not

sources read
  • arXiv listing abstract v1
not examined
  • full text
  • figures and tables
  • references and citing sentences
  • relations to other papers
levels run
  • P abstract
not run
  • S sections
  • T body sentences
  • C citations
  • R cross-paper relations

Every quoted sentence on this record is the authors'. Every label is from Pith's closed vocabulary, with the probability shown beside it. Every number in the measurements table is the authors', checked by code. Record as JSON

The paper
Original abstract

Using numerical simulation, we study the development of gaseous inflows and triggering of starburst activity in mergers of comparable-mass disk galaxies. In all encounters studied, the galaxies experience strong gaseous inflows and moderate to intense starburst activity. We find that galaxy structure plays a dominant role in regulating activity. The gaseous inflows are strongest when galaxies with dense central bulges are in the final stages of merging, while inflows in bulgeless galaxies are weaker and occur earlier in the interaction. Orbital geometry plays only a relatively modest role in the onset of collisionally-induced activity. Through an analysis of the torques acting on the gas, we show that these inflows are generally driven by gravitational torques from the host galaxy (rather than the companion), and that dense bulges act to stabilize galaxies against bar modes and inflow until the galaxies merge, at which point rapidly varying gravitational torques drive strong dissipation and inflow of gas in the merging pair. The strongest inflows (and associated starburst activity) develop in co-planar encounters, while the activity in inclined mergers is somewhat less intense and occurs slightly later during the merger. The starbursts which develop in mergers of galaxies with central bulges represent an increase in the star formation rate of two orders of magnitude over that in isolated galaxies. We find that the gaseous and stellar morphology and star-forming properties of these systems provide a good match to those of observed ultraluminous infrared galaxies. Our results imply that the internal structure of the merging galaxies, rather than orbital geometry, may be the key factor in producing ultraluminous infrared galaxies.

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References
How later papers used it

241 later papers cite it

Evidence: substantial. 226 of the citing papers share no author with it, and 10 of those carry a confident label from Pith's citation classifier.

Pith read 40 of the 297 citing sentences, choosing only those whose citation markers point at this paper alone, and wrote the paraphrases from them. The summary, the counts, the evidence level, the links and the quotes come from code; the summary counts the papers listed below. A later paper is listed under a label when Pith's citation classifier gives one of its sentences that label at probability 0.8 or more (0.95 for support), Pith's reading finds that the citing paper itself did it, and a second check confirms the paraphrase against the sentence. This section lists uses only. It does not list criticism or disagreement, so their absence here says nothing about how the paper has been received. Papers that share an author with this one are listed apart, under "By the same authors". A quote is the citing authors' own sentence, shown when their paper's licence is CC BY, CC BY-SA or CC0. JSON

Uses its data or values 1 of 3 papers with this label
Cites it as support 2 of 4 papers with this label
How the literature uses it

28 arXiv papers cite this in 32 sentences

Each citing sentence is taken from the citing paper's LaTeX source and typed by Pith's classifier. A label appears at probability 0.8 or more (0.95 for support), a contest at 0.7 or more; the quoted words are the citing authors'. How each label was checked · JSON

Papers citing it · 25 sentences without a confident label

Uses its data or values 1 paper
Cites it as background 6 papers

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