Multi-Stage Three Dimensional Sweeping and Annealing of Disc Galaxies in Clusters

We present new three dimensional, hydrodynamic simulations of the ram pressure stripping of disc galaxies via interaction with an hot intracluster medium (ICM). The simulations were carried with the smoothed-particle hydrodynamics, adaptive mesh ’Hydra’ code (SPH-AP M), with model galaxies consisting of dark halo, and gas and stellar disc components. The simulations also include radiative cooling, which is important for keeping the warm, diffuse gas of moderate density from being unrealistically heated by the ICM. We examine the role that wind velocity, density and galaxy tilt play in gas stripping. We include cases with lower ram pressures than other recent studies. In accord with previous studies we find that low column density gas is promptly removed from the outer disc. However, we also find that not all of the gas stripped from the disc escapes immediately from the halo, some of material can linger for times of order 10 yr. We use a simple analytic model to demonstrate that gas elements in the ICM wind feel an effective potential with a minimum displaced downstream from the halo centre. The onset of the ICM wind has a profound effect on the disc gas that is not immediately stripped. This remnant disc is displaced relative to the halo center and compressed. This can trigger gravitational instability and the formation of numerous flocculent spirals. These waves transport angular momentum outward, resulting in further compression of the inner disc and the formation of a prominent gas ring. This ’annealing’ process makes the inner disc, which contains much of the total gas mass, resistant to further stripping, but presumably susceptible to global starbursts. Spirals in the outer disc stretch, shear and are eventually stripped on timescales of a few times 10 yr., after which time mass and angular momentum loss effectly cease. For inclined galaxies, these effects are considerably modified over the same timescale. The amount of mass loss is reduced. In addition, we find that a higher galaxy tilt couples the wind and the rotating disc, and produces a higher degree of angular momentum removal. Temperature and line of sight velocity maps from several of the simulations are presented for comparison to observation. When the mass loss and annealing processes go to completion we find that the total amount of mass lost from a fixed target galaxy is well fit by a simple power-law function of a dimensionless parameter that combines the ram pressure and internal properties of the galaxy. Ramifications for the cluster galaxy evolution are discussed.