Collisions of Galaxies in Dense Clusters. I. Dynamics of Collisions of Two Galaxies

Collisions of spherical galaxies composed only of stars were simulated numerically. Test stars representative of the model galaxy were elected sby a Monte Carlo technique and followed through the collision by integrating their equations of motion, within the approximations that the stars react only to the smoothed-out mass distributions of the galaxies, and that those distributions are unchanged during the collision. Approximate analytic arguments based on the impulsive approximation have been used to extend the numerical results. These computer and analytic studies have been used to obtain cross sections for certain processes which may be important in dense clusters of galaxies. Although detailed application of these results to clusters is reserved for a later paper, we note already that if the galaxies in the center of the Coma cluster were initially 50 kpc or more in radius, then they have suffered substantial changes in mass and radius over the age of the Universe. Subject headings: galaxies, clusters of - stellar dynamics

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