EVOLUTION OF SELF-GRAVITATING GAS DISKS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF A ROTATING BAR POTENTIAL

It is well known that a rotating bar potential can transport angular momentum to the disk and hence cause the evolution of the disk. Such a process is particularly important in disk galaxies since it can result in fuelling AGNs and starburst ring activities. In this paper, we will present the numerical simulations to show how this mechanism works. The problem, however, is quite complicated. We classify our simulations according to the type of Lindbald resonances and try to single out the individual roles they play in the disk evolution. Among many interesting results, we emphasize the identification of the origin of the starburst rings and the dense circumnuclear molecular disks to the instability of the disk. Unlike most of the other simulations, the self-gravitation of the disk is emphasized in this study.