Tidal transfer of energy and angular momentum to spheroidal galaxies

Abstract

The tidal transfer of energy and angular momentum to a spheriodal test galaxy is studied using tensor virial equations within the framework of impulse approximation. The tidally introduced angular momentum is always along an axis perpendicular to the symmetry axis. It is shown that, in the case of an initially non-rotating galaxy, more energy is pumped along either of the equatorial axes than along the symmetry axis.