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Abstract Barred galaxies exhibit boxy/peanut or X-shapes (BP/X) protruding from their disks in edge-on views. Two types of BP/X morphologies exist depending on whether the X-wings meet at the center (CX) or are off-centered (OX). Orbital studies indicate that various orbital types can generate X-shaped structures. Here we provide a classification approach that identifies the specific orbit families responsible for generating OX- and CX-shaped structures. Applying this approach to three differentN-body bar models, we show that both OX and CX structures are associated with thex1 orbit family, but OX-supporting orbits possess higher angular momentum (closer tox1 orbits) than orbits in CX structures. Consequently, as the bar slows down, the contribution of higher angular momentum OX-supporting orbits decreases and that of lower angular momentum orbits increases, resulting in an evolution of the morphology from OX to CX. If the bar does not slow down, the shape of the BP/X structure and the fractions of OX/CX-supporting orbits remain substantially unchanged. Bars that do not undergo buckling but that do slow down initially show the OX structure and are dominated by high angular momentum orbits, transitioning to a CX morphology. Bars that buckle exhibit a combination of both OX- and CX-supporting orbits immediately after the buckling but become more CX dominated as their pattern speed decreases. This study demonstrates that the evolution of BP/X morphology and orbit populations strongly depends on the evolution of the bar angular momentum. 

ABSTRACT We apply the barred Schwarzschild method developed by Tahmasebzadeh et al. (2022) to a barred S0 galaxy, NGC 4371, observed by IFU instruments from the TIMER and ATLAS3D projects. We construct the gravitational potential by combining a fixed black hole mass, a spherical dark matter halo, and stellar mass distribution deprojected from 3.6 μm S$^4$G image considering an axisymmetric disc and a triaxial bar. We independently modelled kinematic data from TIMER and ATLAS3D. Both models fit the data remarkably well. We find a consistent bar pattern speed from the two sets of models with $$\Omega _{\rm p} = 23.6 \pm 2.8 \, \mathrm{km \, s^{-1} \, kpc^{-1} }$$ and $$\Omega _{\rm p} = 22.4 \pm 3.5 \, \mathrm{km \, s^{-1} \, kpc^{-1} }$$, respectively. The dimensionless bar rotation parameter is determined to be $$\mathcal {R} \equiv R_{\rm cor}/R_{\rm bar}=1.88 \pm 0.37$$, indicating a likely slow bar in NGC 4371. Additionally, our model predicts a high amount of dark matter within the bar region ($$M_{\rm DM}/ M_{\rm total}$$\sim 0.51 \pm 0.06$$), which, aligned with the predictions of cosmological simulations, indicates that fast bars are generally found in baryon-dominated discs. Based on the best-fitting model, we further decompose the galaxy into multiple 3D orbital structures, including a BP/X bar, a classical bulge, a nuclear disc, and a main disc. The BP/X bar is not perfectly included in the input 3D density model, but BP/X-supporting orbits are picked through the fitting to the kinematic data. This is the first time a real barred galaxy has been modelled utilizing the Schwarzschild method including a 3D bar. 

ABSTRACT Until the recent advent of Gaia Data Release 2 (DR2) and deep multi-object spectroscopy, it has been difficult to obtain 6D phase space information for large numbers of stars beyond 4 kpc, in particular towards the Galactic Centre, where dust and crowding are significant. We combine line-of-sight velocities from the Abundances and Radial velocity Galactic Origins Survey (ARGOS) with proper motions from Gaia DR2 to obtain a sample of ∼7000 red clump stars with 3D velocities. We perform a large-scale stellar kinematics study of the Milky Way bulge to characterize the bulge velocity ellipsoids in 20 fields. The tilt of the major-axis of the velocity ellipsoid in the radial-longitudinal velocity plane, or vertex deviation, is characteristic of non-axisymmetric systems and a significant tilt is a robust indicator of non-axisymmetry or bar presence. We compare the observations to the predicted kinematics of an N-body boxy-bulge model formed from dynamical instabilities. In the model, the lv values are strongly correlated with the angle (α) between the bulge major-axis and the Sun-Galactic centre line of sight. We use a maximum likelihood method to obtain an independent measurement of α, from bulge stellar kinematics alone, performing a robust error analysis. The most likely value of α given our model is α = (29 ± 3)○, with an additional systematic uncertainty due to comparison with one specific model. In Baade’s window, the metal-rich stars display a larger vertex deviation (lv = −40○) than the metal-poor stars (lv = 10○) but we do not detect significant lv−metallicity trends in the other fields. 

ABSTRACT We present photometric metallicity measurements for a sample of 2.6 million bulge red clump stars extracted from the Blanco DECam Bulge Survey (BDBS). Similar to previous studies, we find that the bulge exhibits a strong vertical metallicity gradient, and that at least two peaks in the metallicity distribution functions appear at b < −5°. We can discern a metal-poor ([Fe/H] ∼ −0.3) and metal-rich ([Fe/H] ∼ +0.2) abundance distribution that each show clear systematic trends with latitude, and may be best understood by changes in the bulge’s star formation/enrichment processes. Both groups exhibit asymmetric tails, and as a result we argue that the proximity of a star to either peak in [Fe/H] space is not necessarily an affirmation of group membership. The metal-poor peak shifts to lower [Fe/H] values at larger distances from the plane while the metal-rich tail truncates. Close to the plane, the metal-rich tail appears broader along the minor axis than in off-axis fields. We also posit that the bulge has two metal-poor populations – one that belongs to the metal-poor tail of the low latitude and predominantly metal-rich group, and another belonging to the metal-poor group that dominates in the outer bulge. We detect the X-shape structure in fields with |Z| > 0.7 kpc and for stars with [Fe/H] > −0.5. Stars with [Fe/H] < −0.5 may form a spheroidal or ‘thick bar’ distribution while those with [Fe/H] $$\gtrsim$$ −0.1 are strongly concentrated near the plane.