A non-mainstream explanation for the formation of galactic arms, bars and rings based upon simple harmonic motion -
I would submit that “grand design spiral galaxies” are formed when two large galaxies* merge and the combined motions of the two independent galactic masses “draw” a vibration figure similar to that which is created by a two-pendulum harmonograph (pendulum drawing machine consisting of two independent pendulums which rotate in infinite planes) set at a 1:1 ratio and the initial pendulum motion is counter-current (one pendulum clockwise motion and the second counter-clockwise). The physics demonstrated by a simple pendulum toy from the 1800’s may reveal insights into large and complex galactic structures.
Furthermore, subsequent galactic mergers overwrite a galaxy with additional pairs of spiral arms (galactic arms are always created in pairs, even though they are sometimes difficult to discern). The two-pendulum harmonograph drawing machine, set to a 1:1 ratio, mathematically models many different configurations of galactic spirals which we can observe in the universe.
The harmonograph mathematically demonstrates other interesting galactic structures and demonstrates with simple pendulum motion how a grand design spiral galaxy, if it remains unperturbed by subsequent large mergers for a long enough period of time, can slowly undergo a phase change and the motion becomes concurrent, which first creates a prominent galactic bar and ultimately forms a ring galaxy structure (Hoag’s object, for example). Large galactic structures are harmonic vibrations created by the independent motions of colliding galactic masses!
If this hypothesis is valid, then spiral galaxies naturally go through a phase change and transition into barred and finally ring galaxies if they are isolated from frequent mergers. There are also other factors to consider such as: Are the masses of the two merging galaxies roughly equal, do the central SMBH’s find stable orbits or merge, and collision angle and velocity considerations.
* Can a galactic mass be equivalent to a pendulum bob? A simple pendulum consists of a pivot point, rod and a bob, the pivot point of a galactic mass (bob) would be the big bang event and the rod would be the intervening spacetime, which tends to support the big bang model for the origin of the universe because if galactic masses had different origin points, collisions would produce chaos instead of the harmonic vibrations created by 1:1 pendulum motion.
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