Context. Satellite accretion events have been invoked for mimicking the internal secular evolutionary processes of bulge growth. However, N-body simulations of satellite accretions have paid little attention to the evolution of bulge photometric parameters, to the processes driving this evolution, and to the consistency of this evolution with observations. Aims. We want to investigate whether satellite accretions indeed drive the growth of bulges, and whether they are consistent with global scaling relations of bulges and discs. Methods. We perform N-body models of the accretion of satellites onto disc galaxies. A Tully-Fisher (M ∝ V α TF rot ) scaling between primary and satellite ensures that density ratios, critical to the outcome of the accretion, are realistic. We carry out a full structural, kinematic and dynamical analysis of the evolution of the bulge mass, bulge central concentration, and bulge-to-disc scaling relations. Results. The remnants of the accretion have bulge-disc structure. Both the bulge-to-disc ratio (B/D) and the Sérsic index (n) of the remnant bulge increase as a result of the accretion, with moderate final bulge Sérsic indices: n = 1.0 to 1.9. Bulge growth occurs no matter the fate of the secondary, which fully disrupts for α TF = 3 and partially survives to the remnant center for α TF = 3.5 or 4. Global structural parameters evolve following trends similar to observations. We show that the dominant mechanism for bulge growth is the inward flow of material from the disc to the bulge region during the satellite decay.Conclusions. The models confirm that the growth of the bulge out of disc material, a central ingredient of secular evolution models, may be triggered externally through satellite accretion.

The CALIFA team has recently found that the stellar angular momentum and concentration of late-type spiral galaxies are incompatible with those of lenticular galaxies (S0s), concluding that fading alone cannot satisfactorily explain the evolution from spirals into S0s. Here we explore whether major mergers can provide an alternative way to transform spirals into S0s by analysing the spiral-spiral major mergers from the GalMer database that lead to realistic, relaxed S0-like galaxies. We find that the change in stellar angular momentum and concentration can explain the differences in the λ Re -R 90 /R 50 plane found by the CALIFA team. Major mergers thus offer a feasible explanation for the transformation of spirals into S0s.

Context. Observations have shown that inner discs and rings (IDs and IRs) are not preferably found in barred galaxies, which indicates that their formation may differ from that described by the traditional bar-origin scenario in many cases. In contrast, the role of minor mergers in producing these inner components (ICs), while often invoked, is still poorly understood. Aims. We investigate the capability of minor mergers to trigger the formation of IDs and IRs in spiral galaxies through collisionless N-body simulations. Methods. We run a battery of minor merger simulations in which both primary and secondary galaxies are modelled as disc-bulgehalo galaxies with realistic density ratios. Different orbits and mass ratios are considered, as well as two different models for the primary galaxy (a Sab or Sc). We then perform a detailed analysis of the morphology, structure, and kinematics of the ICs resulting from the minor merger. Results. All the simulated minor mergers develop thin ICs out of satellite material, supported by rotation. A wide morphological zoo of ICs are obtained (including IDs, IRs, pseudo-rings, nested IDs, spiral patterns, and combinations of them), but all have structural and kinematical properties similar to those observed. The sizes of the resulting ICs are comparable to those observed in real galaxies with the adequate scaling. The existence of the resulting ICs can be deduced from the features that they imprint in the isophotal profiles and kinemetric maps of the final remnant, as in many real galaxies. Weak transitory oval distortions appear in the remnant centre in many cases, but none of them develops a noticeable bar. The realistic density ratios used in the present models ensure that the satellites experience more efficient orbital circularization and disruption than in previous studies. Combined with the disc resonances induced by the encounter, these processes produce highly aligned co-and counter-rotating ICs at the remnant centre. Conclusions. Minor mergers are an efficient mechanism for forming rotationally-supported stellar ICs in spiral galaxies, without requiring either strong dissipation or the development of noticeable bars. The present models indicate that minor mergers can account for the existence of pure-stellar old ICs in unbarred galaxies, and suggest that their role must have been crucial in the formation of ICs and much more complex than just bar triggering.

Context. Major mergers are popularly considered too destructive to produce the relaxed regular structures and the morphological inner components (ICs) usually observed in lenticular (S0) galaxies. Aims. We aim to test if major mergers can produce remnants with realistic S0 morphologies. Methods. We have selected a sample of relaxed discy remnants resulting from the dissipative merger simulations of the GalMer database and derived their properties mimicking the typical conditions of current observational data. We have compared their global morphologies, visual components, and merger relics in mock photometric images with their real counterparts. Results. Only ∼1-2 Gyr after the full merger, we find that: 1) many remnants (67 major and 29 minor events) present relaxed structures and typical S0 or E/S0 morphologies, for a wide variety of orbits and even in gas-poor cases. 2) Contrary to popular expectations, most of them do not exhibit any morphological traces of their past merger origin under typical observing conditions and at distances as nearby as 30 Mpc. 3) The merger relics are more persistent in minor mergers than in major ones for similar relaxing time periods. 4) No major-merger S0-like remnant develops a significant bar. 5) Nearly 58% of the major-merger S0 remnants host visually detectable ICs, such as embedded inner discs, rings, pseudo-rings, inner spirals, nuclear bars, and compact sources, very frequent in real S0s too. 6) All remnants contain a lens or oval, identically ubiquitous in local S0s. 7) These lenses and ovals do not come from bar dilution in major-merger cases, but are associated with stellar halos or embedded inner discs instead (thick or thin). Conclusions. The relaxed morphologies, lenses, ovals, and other ICs of real S0s do not necessarily come from internal secular evolution, gas infall, or environmental mechanisms, as traditionally assumed, but they can result from major mergers as well.

Context. Observations reveal a strong structural coupling between bulge and disc in S0 galaxies, which seems difficult to explain if they have formed from supposedly catastrophic events such as major mergers. Aims. We face this question by quantifying the bulge-disc coupling in dissipative simulations of major and minor mergers that result in realistic S0s. Methods. We have studied the dissipative N-body binary merger simulations from the GalMer database that give rise to realistic, relaxed E/S0 and S0 remnants (67 major and 29 minor mergers). We simulate surface brightness profiles of these S0-like remnants in the K band, mimicking typical observational conditions, to perform bulge-disc decompositions analogous to those carried out in real S0s. Additional components have been included when needed. The global bulge-disc structure of these remnants has been compared with real data. Results. The S0-like remnants distribute in the B/T -r e -h d parameter space consistently with real bright S0s, where B/T is the bulgeto-total luminosity ratio, r e is the bulge effective radius, and h d is the disc scalelength. Major mergers can rebuild a bulge-disc coupling in the remnants after having destroyed the structures of the progenitors, whereas minor mergers directly preserve them. Remnants exhibit B/T and r e /h d spanning a wide range of values, and their distribution is consistent with observations. Many remnants have bulge Sérsic indices ranging 1 < n < 2, flat appearance, and contain residual star formation in embedded discs, a result which agrees with the presence of pseudobulges in real S0s. Conclusions. Contrary to the popular view, mergers (and in particular, major events) can result in S0 remnants with realistically coupled bulge-disc structures in less than ∼3 Gyr. The bulge-disc coupling and the presence of pseudobulges in real S0s cannot be used as an argument against the possible major-merger origin of these galaxies.