04/26/02
Bournaud Frederic Observatoire de Paris
61 Av. de l'Observatoire SF2A- PNG-
75014 Paris, France
Presentation 1 : Poster
Formation and properties of polar ring galaxies
Bournaud F., Combes F.
Polar ring galaxies are peculiar systems that show two nearly orthogonal components. Two formation scenarios for polar rings have been proposed: galaxy mergers and tidal accretion. They are studied through numerical simulations. Comparison with observations and constraints on physical parameters show that the accretion accretion is the most trustworthy. The interpretation of observational data in the light of numerical models may also constrain the shape of the dark halo in polar ring galaxies.