The Role of Galactic Bulges in Shaping Stellar Bars and Box-Peanut Features
Rachel McClure and her team explored how classical bulges impact galactic bars and Boxy/Peanut X-Features (BPX) in disk galaxies. Simulations showed heavier bulges stabilize bars, slow their growth, and lead to steady BPX formation, while galaxies without bulges experience rapid, unstable changes. BPX features form through resonant orbital interactions, with bulges moderating their growth and evolution.
Exploring a Galactic Twin: NGC 3521 and the Milky Way in Metal-THINGS
The Metal-THINGS project studied NGC 3521, a galaxy resembling the Milky Way, to compare their chemical evolution. Oxygen and nitrogen abundance gradients suggest inside-out galaxy formation, with NGC 3521 showing stable inner oxygen levels but less outer mass exchange than the Milky Way. While structurally similar, their evolutionary differences highlight diverse processes in galaxy development, offering insights into the unique paths of Milky Way-like galaxies.
Exploring Galactic Sub-Structures: A Look into the GECKOS Survey of Edge-On Galaxies
The GECKOS Survey examines edge-on, Milky Way-like galaxies to understand the structures and kinematics within them, focusing on features like boxy-peanut bulges and bars. Using high-resolution imaging and the nGIST pipeline for data analysis, researchers identified diverse kinematic patterns and evidence of nuclear discs, revealing how these sub-structures influence galaxy shape and evolution. The findings suggest that kinematic mapping provides a richer view of galaxy morphology than imaging alone, supporting a complex, modern understanding of galactic structure.