View source for Astronomy:Bulge

{{short description|Tightly packed group of stars within a larger formation}}

[[File:Artist's impression of the central bulge of the Milky Way.jpg|thumb|upright=1.8|Artist's impression of the central bulge of the [[Astronomy:Milky Way|Milky Way]].<ref>{{cite news|title=The Peanut at the Heart of our Galaxy|url=http://www.eso.org/public/news/eso1339/|accessdate=14 September 2013|newspaper=ESO Press Release}}</ref> ]]

In [[Astronomy:Astronomy|astronomy]], a '''galactic bulge''' (or simply '''bulge''') is a tightly packed group of [[Astronomy:Star|star]]s within a larger star formation. The term almost exclusively refers to the central group of stars found in most [[Spiral galaxy|spiral galaxies]] (see galactic spheroid). Bulges were historically thought to be elliptical galaxies that happened to have a disk of stars around them, but high-resolution images using the [[Astronomy:Hubble Space Telescope|Hubble Space Telescope]] have revealed that many bulges lie at the heart of a spiral galaxy. It is now thought that there are at least two types of bulges: bulges that are like ellipticals and bulges that are like spiral galaxies.

== Classical bulges ==
[[Image:Messier 81 HST.jpg|thumb|An image of [[Astronomy:Messier 81|Messier 81]], a galaxy with a classical bulge. The spiral structure ends at the onset of the bulge.]]
Bulges that have properties similar to those of elliptical galaxies are often called "classical bulges" due to their similarity to the historic view of bulges.<ref>[[Biography:Allan Sandage|Sandage, Allan]], ''The Hubble Atlas of Galaxies'', Washington: Carnegie Institution, 1961</ref>  These bulges are composed primarily of stars that are older, Population II stars, and  hence have a reddish hue (see [[Astronomy:Stellar evolution|stellar evolution]]).<ref name=Review />  These stars are also in orbits that are essentially random compared to the plane of the galaxy, giving the bulge a distinct spherical form.<ref name=Review />  Due to the lack of dust and gases, bulges tend to have almost no star formation. The distribution of light is described by a [[Astronomy:Sersic profile|Sersic profile]].

Classical bulges are thought to be the result of collisions of smaller structures.  Convulsing gravitational forces and torques disrupt the orbital paths of stars, resulting in the randomised bulge orbits.  If either progenitor galaxy was gas-rich, the [[Physics:Tidal force|tidal forces]] can also cause inflows to the newly merged galaxy nucleus.  Following a [[Astronomy:Galaxy merger|major merger]], gas clouds are more likely to convert into stars, due to [[Physics:Shock wave|shocks]] (see [[Astronomy:Star formation|star formation]]).
One study has suggested that about 80% of galaxies in the field lack a classical bulge,
indicating that they have never experienced a major merger.<ref name="kormendy2010">
{{cite journal
   | last1 = Kormendy | first1 = J.
   | last2 = Drory | first2 = N.
   | last3 = Bender | first3 = R.
   | last4 = Cornell | first4 = M. E.
   | title = Bulgeless Giant Galaxies Challenge Our Picture of Galaxy Formation by Hierarchical Clustering
   | year = 2010
   | journal = [[Astronomy:The Astrophysical Journal|The Astrophysical Journal]]
   | volume = 723
   | issue = 1
   | pages = 54–80
   | doi = 10.1088/0004-637X/723/1/54
   | arxiv = 1009.3015
   | url = http://esoads.eso.org/abs/2010ApJ...723...54K
   | bibcode = 2010ApJ...723...54K
}}
</ref>
The bulgeless galaxy fraction of the Universe has remained roughly constant for at least the last 8 billion years.<ref name="sachdeva2016">
{{cite journal
   | last1 = Sachdeva | first1 = S.
   | last2 = Saha | first2 = K.
   | title = Survival of Pure Disk Galaxies over the Last 8 Billion Years
   | year = 2016
   | journal = The Astrophysical Journal Letters
   | volume = 820
   | issue = 1
   | pages = L4
   | doi = 10.3847/2041-8205/820/1/L4
   | arxiv = 1602.08942
   | url = http://esoads.eso.org/abs/2016ApJ...820L...4S
   | bibcode = 2016ApJ...820L...4S
}}
</ref>
In contrast, about two thirds of galaxies in dense [[Astronomy:Galaxy cluster|galaxy clusters]] (such as the [[Astronomy:Virgo Cluster|Virgo Cluster]]) do possess a classical bulge, demonstrating the disruptive effect of their crowding.<ref name="kormendy2010"></ref>

== Disk-like bulges ==
[[File:ESO 498-G5.jpg|thumb|Astronomers refer to the distinctive spiral-like bulge of galaxies such as ESO 498-G5 as disc-type bulges, or pseudobulges.]]

Many bulges have properties more similar to those of the central regions of spiral galaxies than elliptical galaxies.<ref>The formation of galactic bulges edited by C.M. Carollo, H.C. Ferguson, R.F.G. Wyse. Cambridge, U.K. ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 1999. (Cambridge contemporary astrophysics)</ref><ref name="kormendy2004">
{{cite journal
   | last1 = Kormendy | first1 = J.
   | last2 = Kennicutt | first2 = Jr. R. C.
   | title = Secular Evolution and the Formation of Pseudobulges in Disk Galaxies
   | year = 2004
   | journal = [[Physics:Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics|Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics]]
   | volume = 42
   | issue = 1
   | pages = 603–683
   | doi = 10.1146/annurev.astro.42.053102.134024
   | arxiv = astro-ph/0407343
   | url = http://esoads.eso.org/abs/2004ARA%26A..42..603K
   | bibcode = 2004ARA&A..42..603K
}}
</ref><ref name="athanassoula2005">{{cite journal
   | last1 = Athanassoula | first1 = E.
   | title = On the nature of bulges in general and of box/peanut bulges in particular: input from N-body simulations
   | year = 2005
   | journal = [[Organization:Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society|Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society]]
   | volume = 358
   | issue = 4
   | pages = 1477–1488
   | doi = 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2005.08872.x
   | arxiv = astro-ph/0502316
   | url = http://esoads.eso.org/abs/2005MNRAS.358.1477A
   | bibcode = 2005MNRAS.358.1477A
}}
</ref> They are often referred to as ''pseudobulges'' or ''disky-bulges.'' These bulges have stars that are not orbiting randomly, but rather orbit in an ordered fashion in the same plane as the stars in the outer disk. This contrasts greatly with elliptical galaxies.

Subsequent studies (using the [[Astronomy:Hubble Space Telescope|Hubble Space Telescope]]) show that the bulges of many galaxies are not devoid of dust, but rather show a varied and complex structure.<ref name=Review>[https://arxiv.org/abs/0710.3104v1 The Galactic Bulge: A Review]</ref> This structure often looks similar to a [[Spiral galaxy|spiral galaxy]], but is much smaller. Giant spiral galaxies are typically 2–100 times the size of those spirals that exist in bulges. Where they exist, these central spirals dominate the light of the bulge in which they reside. Typically the rate at which new stars are formed in pseudobulges is similar to the rate at which stars form in disk galaxies. Sometimes bulges contain nuclear rings that are forming stars at much higher rate (per area) than is typically found in outer disks, as shown in [[Astronomy:NGC 4314|NGC 4314]] (see photo).

[[Image:NGC 4314HST1998-21-b-full.jpg|thumb|left|A Hubble Space Telescope image of the central region of NGC 4314, a galaxy with a star-forming nuclear ring.]]

Properties such as spiral structure and young stars suggest that some bulges did not form through the same process that made elliptical galaxies and classical bulges. Yet the theories for the formation of pseudobulges are less certain than those for classical bulges. Pseudobulges may be the result of extremely gas-rich mergers that happened more recently than those mergers that formed classical bulges (within the last 5 billion years). However, it is difficult for disks to survive the merging process, casting doubt on this scenario.

Many astronomers suggest that bulges that appear similar to disks form outside of the disk, and are not the product of a merging process. When left alone, disk galaxies can rearrange their stars and gas (as a response to instabilities). The products of this process (called secular evolution) are often observed in such galaxies; both [[Spiral galaxy|spiral disks]] and [[Astronomy:Barred spiral galaxy|galactic bars]] can result from secular evolution of galaxy disks. Secular evolution is also expected to send gas and stars to the center of a galaxy. If this happens that would increase the density at the center of the galaxy, and thus make a bulge that has properties similar to those of disk galaxies.

If secular evolution, or the slow, steady evolution of a galaxy,<ref>[http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/cosmos/S/Secular+Evolution SAO Encyclopedia of Astronomy]</ref> is responsible for the formation of a significant number of bulges, then that many galaxies have not experienced a merger since the formation of their disk. This would then mean that current theories of [[Astronomy:Galaxy formation and evolution|galaxy formation and evolution]] greatly over-predict the number of mergers in the past few billion years.<ref name=Review /><ref name="kormendy2010"></ref><ref name="sachdeva2016"></ref>

== Central compact mass ==
[[File:A tiny galaxy with a big heart.jpg|thumb|ESO 495-21 may host a supermassive black hole, an unusual feature for a galaxy of its size.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hubble Observes Tiny Galaxy with Big Heart |url=https://www.spacetelescope.org/news/heic1911/ |website=www.spacetelescope.org |accessdate=17 June 2019 |language=en}}</ref>]]

Most bulges and pseudo-bulges are thought to host a central relativistic compact mass,
which is traditionally assumed to be a [[Astronomy:Supermassive black hole|supermassive black hole]]. Such black holes by definition can not be observed directly (light cannot escape them), but various pieces of evidence suggest their existence, both in the bulges of spiral galaxies and in the centers of ellipticals. The masses of the black holes correlate tightly with bulge properties.
The [[Astronomy:M–sigma relation|M–sigma relation]] relates black hole mass to the velocity dispersion of bulge stars<ref name="ferrarese2000">
{{cite journal
   | author1 = Ferrarese, L.
   | author2 = Merritt, D.
   | title = A Fundamental Relation between Supermassive Black Holes and Their Host Galaxies
   | year = 2000
   | journal = The Astrophysical Journal Letters
   | volume = 539
   | issue = 1
   | pages = L9–L12
   | doi = 10.1086/312838
   | arxiv = astro-ph/0006053
   | url = http://esoads.eso.org/abs/2000ApJ...539L...9F
   | bibcode = 2000ApJ...539L...9F
}}
</ref><ref name="xiao2011">
{{cite journal
   | last1 = Xiao | first1 = T.
   | last2 = Barth | first2 = A. J.
   | last3 = Greene | first3 = J. E.
   | last4 = Ho | first4 = L. C.
   | last5 = Bentz | first5 = M. C.
   | last6 = Ludwig | first6 = R. R.
   | last7 = Jiang | first7 = Y.
   | title = Exploring the Low-mass End of the M $_BH$-$\sigma$$_*$ Relation with Active Galaxies
   | year = 2011
   | journal = [[Astronomy:The Astrophysical Journal|The Astrophysical Journal]]
   | volume = 739
   | issue = 1
   | pages = 28
   | doi = 10.1088/0004-637X/739/1/28
   | arxiv = 1106.6232
   | url = http://esoads.eso.org/abs/2011ApJ...739...28X
   | bibcode = 2011ApJ...739...28X
}}
</ref>, 
while other correlations involve the total stellar mass or luminosity of the bulge<ref name="magorrian1998">
{{cite journal
   | last1 = Magorrian | first1 = J.
   | last2 = Tremaine | first2 = S.
   | last3 = Richstone | first3 = D.
   | last4 = Bender | first4 = R.
   | last5 = Bower | first5 = G.
   | last6 = Dressler | first6 = A.
   | last7 = Faber | first7 = S. M.
   | last8 = Gebhardt | first8 = K.
   | last9 = Green | first9 = R.
   | last10 = Grillmair | first10 = C.
   | last11 = Kormendy | first11 = J.
   | last12 = Lauer | first12 = T.
   | title = The Demography of Massive Dark Objects in Galaxy Centers
   | year = 1998
   | journal = [[Astronomy:The Astronomical Journal|The Astronomical Journal]]
   | volume = 115
   | issue = 6
   | pages = 2285–2305
   | doi = 10.1086/300353
   | arxiv = astro-ph/9708072
   | url = http://esoads.eso.org/abs/1998AJ....115.2285M
   | bibcode = 1998AJ....115.2285M
}}
</ref><ref name="haering2004">
{{cite journal
   | last1 = Häring | first1 = N.
   | last2 = Rix | first2 = H.-W.
   | title = On the Black Hole Mass-Bulge Mass Relation
   | year = 2004
   | journal = The Astrophysical Journal Letters
   | volume = 604
   | issue = 2
   | pages = L89–L92
   | doi = 10.1086/383567
   | arxiv = astro-ph/0402376
   | url = http://esoads.eso.org/abs/2004ApJ...604L..89H
   | bibcode = 2004ApJ...604L..89H
}}
</ref>
<ref>Giulia A.D. Savorgnan, et al. (2016), [http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2016ApJ...817...21S Supermassive Black Holes and Their Host Spheroids. II. The Red and Blue Sequence in the M<sub>BH</sub>-M<sub>*,sph</sub> Diagram]</ref>, 
the central concentration of stars in the bulge<ref>Graham et al. (2001), [http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2001ApJ...563L..11G A Correlation between Galaxy Light Concentration and Supermassive Black Hole Mass]</ref>, 
the richness of the [[Astronomy:Globular cluster|globular cluster]] system orbiting in the galaxy's far outskirts<ref name="spitler2009">
{{cite journal
   | last1 = Spitler | first1 = L. R.
   | last2 = Forbes | first2 = D. A.
   | title = A new method for estimating dark matter halo masses using globular cluster systems
   | year = 2009
   | journal = [[Organization:Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society|Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society]]
   | volume = 392
   | issue = 1
   | pages = L1–L5
   | doi = 10.1111/j.1745-3933.2008.00567.x
   | arxiv = 0809.5057
   | url = http://esoads.eso.org/abs/2009MNRAS.392L...1S
   | bibcode = 2009MNRAS.392L...1S
}}
</ref><ref name="sadoun2012">
{{cite journal
   | last1 = Sadoun | first1 = R.
   | last2 = Colin | first2 = J.
   | title = M<sub>BH</sub>–σ relation between supermassive black holes and the velocity dispersion of globular cluster systems
   | year = 2012
   | journal = [[Organization:Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society|Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society]]
   | volume = 426
   | issue = 1
   | pages = L51–L55
   | doi = 10.1111/j.1745-3933.2012.01321.x
   | arxiv = 1204.0144
   | url = http://esoads.eso.org/abs/2012MNRAS.426L..51S
   | bibcode = 2012MNRAS.426L..51S
}}
</ref>,
and the winding angle of the spiral arms.<ref>Seigar, M., et al. (2008), [http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2008ApJ...678L..93S Discovery of a Relationship between Spiral Arm Morphology and Supermassive Black Hole Mass in Disk Galaxies]</ref>

Until recently it was thought that one could not have a supermassive black hole without a surrounding bulge.
Galaxies hosting supermassive black holes without accompanying bulges have now been observed.<ref name="kormendy2010"></ref><ref>[http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/080110-aas-fat-black-holes.html SPACE.com - Even Thin Galaxies Pack Hefty Black Holes<!-- Bot generated title -->]
</ref><ref name="simmons2017">
{{cite journal
   | last1 = Simmons | first1 = B. D.
   | last2 = Smethurst | first2 = R. J.
   | last3 = Lintott | first3 = C.
   | title = Supermassive black holes in disk-dominated galaxies outgrow their bulges and co-evolve with their host galaxies
   | year = 2017
   | journal = [[Organization:Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society|Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society]]
   | volume = 470
   | issue = 2
   | pages = 1559–1569
   | arxiv = 1705.10793
   | url = http://esoads.eso.org/abs/2017arXiv170510793S
   | bibcode = 2017MNRAS.470.1559S
   | doi=10.1093/mnras/stx1340
}}
</ref>
The implication is that the bulge environment is not strictly essential to the initial seeding and growth of massive black holes.

{{clear}}

== See also ==
* {{annotated link|Astronomy:Disc galaxy}}
** {{annotated link|Spiral galaxy}}
* {{annotated link|Galactic coordinate system}}
* {{annotated link|Astronomy:Galactic halo}}
* {{annotated link|Astronomy:Galactic corona}}
* {{annotated link|Astronomy:Galaxy formation and evolution}}
* {{annotated link|Astronomy:Mass deficit}}
* {{annotated link|Astronomy:M–sigma relation}}

== References ==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{Galaxy}}

[[Category:Galaxies]]

{{Sourceattribution|Bulge (astronomy)|1}}