Binary galaxy spin correlations arising from mergers of galaxies

Statistics of spin orientations in binary galaxies may be used as a tool to study the formation process of galaxies. Helou found that the spins of spi ral galaxies in binary systems are anticorrelated, and he suggested that it may have to do with the inclination dependence of the galaxy merger proces s. We study this dependence in small groups of galaxies. An N-body code is developed which uses an inclination dependent dynamical friction law to aff ect mergers of galaxies. It is found that some correlation results in this way in groups which have initially random spin orientations.