Motivation

Minor merging is now considered as an important driver of galaxy evolution because: a) from the theoretical point of view, it is a very frequent event, due to a great number of small satellites around any large galaxy, and b) multiple minor mergers may change the morphological types of galaxies, and trigger star formation. From the observational point of view, minor mergers are considered an explanation for fast size evolution of elliptical galaxies between the redshifts 1.5 and 1; they may be the effective agents of lenticular galaxies formation through dynamical heating of stellar disks in spiral galaxies; in spiral galaxies, they may constitute spheroidal components - bulges and stellar haloes, as this process is seen directly in our Galaxy and in M31.

The aim of the Special Session is to organize a meeting between observers and theoreticians and to discuss possible signatures and impacts of minor mergers onto formation and evolution of the present morphological types of galaxies.