Stephanie Bush with Chris Mihos (astronomy)

Probing the Structure of Galaxies Using Tidal Debris

The properties of tidal tails in colliding galaxies are sensitive to the structure of the progenitor disk galaxies. We will use simulations of colliding galaxies to study whether or not galactic disks with short truncation radii (as suggested by some recent observations) are consistent with the long tidal tails observed in many interacting galaxies. We will also simulations of tidal debris to constrain the distribution of dark matter in spiral and elliptical galaxies.