The GalMer database: Galaxy Mergers in the Virtual Observatory
  We present the GalMer database, a library of galaxy merger simulations, made
available to users through tools compatible with the Virtual Observatory (VO)
standards adapted specially for this theoretical database. To investigate the
physics of galaxy formation through hierarchical merging, it is necessary to
simulate galaxy interactions varying a large number of parameters:
morphological types, mass ratios, orbital configurations, etc. On one side,
these simulations have to be run in a cosmological context, able to provide a
large number of galaxy pairs, with boundary conditions given by the large-scale
simulations, on the other side the resolution has to be high enough at galaxy
scales, to provide realistic physics. The GalMer database is a library of
thousands simulations of galaxy mergers at moderate spatial resolution and it
is a compromise between the diversity of initial conditions and the details of
underlying physics. We provide all coordinates and data of simulated particles
in FITS binary tables. The main advantages of the database are VO access
interfaces and value-added services which allow users to compare the results of
the simulations directly to observations: stellar population modelling, dust
extinction, spectra, images, visualisation using dedicated VO tools. The GalMer
value-added services can be used as virtual telescope producing broadband
images, 1D spectra, 3D spectral datacubes, thus making our database oriented
towards the usage by observers. We present several examples of the GalMer
database scientific usage obtained from the analysis of simulations and
modelling their stellar population properties, including: (1) studies of the
star formation efficiency in interactions; (2) creation of old counter-rotating
components; (3) reshaping metallicity profiles in elliptical galaxies; (4)
orbital to internal angular momentum transfer; (5) reproducing observed colour
bimodality of galaxies.
