Galaxies: From Kinematics to Dynamics

Abstract

These lectures are intended to provide an introduction to the rich interplay between N-body simulations and stellar-kinematic observations of galaxies. The first section describes the kinematic properties of galaxies that are accessible to observation, and gives a brief introduction to the stellar dynamics that one might wish to infer from such observations. In the next section, the use of N-body simulations in the study of galaxy dynamics is placed in its historical context. The next two sections provide case studies of the stellar-dynamical properties of elliptical and disk galaxies where N-body simulations have been used to explain kinematic data, to test new analysis techniques, and to motivate further observations. The final section contains some speculation as to how the symbiotic relation between observations and N-body simulations may develop in future studies of galaxy dynamics.