The Origin of the Young Stars in the Nucleus of M31
نویسندگان
چکیده
The triple nucleus of M31 consists of a population of old red stars in an eccentric disk (P1 and P2) and another population of younger A stars in a circular disk (P3) around M31’s central supermassive black hole (SMBH). We argue that P1 and P2 determine the maximal radial extent of the younger A star population and provide the gas that fueled the starburst that generated P3. The eccentric stellar disk creates an m = 1 non-axisymmetric perturbation to the potential. This perturbed potential drives gas into the inner parsec around the SMBH, if the pattern speed of the eccentric stellar disk is Ωp . 3 − 10 km s −1 pc. We show that stellar mass loss from P1 and P2 is sufficient to create a gravitationally unstable gaseous disk of ∼ 10M⊙ every 0.1−1 Gyrs, consistent with the 200 Myr age of P3. Similar processes may act in other systems to produce very compact nuclear starbursts. Subject headings: galaxies: individual (M31) – galaxies: nuclei – galaxies: starburst
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