The Formation of Disk Galaxies

Abstract

We present a scenario for the formation of disks that explains not only the properties of normal galaxies but also the properties of the population of low surface brightness galaxies (LSBs) as well. We use a gravitationally self-consistent model for disk collapse to calculate the observable properties of disk galaxies as a function of mass and angular momentum of the initial protogalaxy. The model naturally produces both smooth, asymptotically at rotation curves and exponential surface brightness proles over many disk scale lengths.