Using high resolution numerical simulations -- addressing dynamics, star formation, and chemical evolution -- we follow the formation of disc galaxies during wet major mergers in which each protogalaxy is embedded in a hot gaseous halo. We witness the destruction of the discs of the protogalaxies and the inside-out formation of a new disc, which is both massive and extended. This creates disc galaxies including both a thin and a thick disc component, with different kinematics and chemical structure. The thick disc does not form spirals, but does form a bar, with an elliptical shape, no ansae, much fatter than that of the thin disc and more metal poor. This provides a plausible explanation for the formation of a lens component. Last but not least, we will present results on metallicity and make comparisons with observations in the bar/bulge regions of our Galaxy.

BIO
I graduated in Physics from the University of Athens (Greece) and then obtained a PhD degree in Galactic Dynamics from the University of Thessaloniki (Greece), while working at the Nuclear Research Center "Demokritos". After a few short term appointments, I became a permanent staff member of the Besancon observatory (France), where I obtained my Habilitation and professorship. I then moved to the Marseille observatory (France), which later became part of the Laboratory of Astrophysics in Marseille (LAM - France).

I have obtained two major awards: The Foteinos award of the Athens Academy of Sciences and the Brouwer award the American Astronomical Society.

My main interests are studying the dynamics and evolution of galaxies and of their structures. For this I use N-body plus hydrodynamic simulations, as well as orbital structure theory, and lately have added chemical evolution to my simulations. I have contributed mainly to the understanding of bar formation and evolution, how that process interacts with the dark matter, and how this influences the evolution and properties of disc galaxies. More recently, I have been studying the formation of disc galaxies from major mergers of protogalaxies.