Mixing and Transfer of Elements by Interactions and Mergers

Abstract

Galaxy interactions produce strong torques that generate radial gas flows. There are two opposite tendencies of these flows, regarding abundance gradients: homogeneization and gradient flattening, and enhanced star formation in the center, and gradient steepening. Mechanisms to create abundance gradients are discussed, and comparison with observations is detailed, concerning spirals (such as collisional rings, starbursts..) or ellipticals (formed or not in mergers). A review of N-body simulations predictions, taken into account star formation, is also presented.

8 pages, 2 figures, to be published in Proceedings of "Abundance profiles: Diagnostic Tools for Galaxy History", 12-15 October 1997, Quebec, Canada, ed. D. Friedli, M.G. Edmunds, C. Robert, L. Drissen, ASP conf series