WIKISKY.ORG
 Home Getting Started To Survive in the Universe News@Sky Astro Photo The Collection Forum Blog New! FAQ Press Login

# NGC 2217

Contents

### Images

DSS Images   Other Images

### Related articles

 The Classification of Galaxies: Early History and Ongoing Developments"You ask what is the use of classification, arrangement,systematization. I answer you; order and simplification are the firststeps toward the mastery of a subject the actual enemy is the unknown." Spiral galaxies with a central plateau in the gas velocity curve along the major axisWe present the minor-axis kinematics of ionized gas and stars for asample of 5 spiral galaxies, which are characterized by either a zero ora shallow gas velocity gradient along their major axis. The asymmetricvelocity profiles observed along the minor axis of NGC 4064 and NGC 4189can be explained as due to the presence of a bar. This is also the caseof NGC 4178, where the innermost portion of the gaseous disk is nearlyface on. In NGC 4424 and NGC 4941, we measured non-zero gas velocitiesonly in the central regions along the minor axis, and gas velocitiesdrop to zero at larger radii. This kinematic feature is suggestive ofthe presence of an orthogonally-rotating gaseous component, which isconfined in the innermost regions (i.e. an inner polar disk) and needsto be confirmed with integral-field spectroscopy. On the Formation and Evolution of Stellar Bars in GalaxiesSee http://www.astro.iag.usp.br/~dimitri/phdthesis/phdthesis.html,where this work, originally written in Portuguese, is available. Spatial distribution of galaxies in the Puppis regionWe determine the spatial distribution of the galaxies located behind thepart of the zone of avoidance of the Milky Way defined by 220° Secular Evolution and the Formation of Pseudobulges in Disk GalaxiesThe Universe is in transition. At early times, galactic evolution wasdominated by hierarchical clustering and merging, processes that areviolent and rapid. In the far future, evolution will mostly be secularthe slow rearrangement of energy and mass that results from interactionsinvolving collective phenomena such as bars, oval disks, spiralstructure, and triaxial dark halos. Both processes are important now.This review discusses internal secular evolution, concentrating on oneimportant consequence, the buildup of dense central components in diskgalaxies that look like classical, merger-built bulges but that weremade slowly out of disk gas. We call these pseudobulges. BUDDA: A New Two-dimensional Bulge/Disk Decomposition Code for Detailed Structural Analysis of GalaxiesWe present BUDDA (Bulge/Disk Decomposition Analysis), a new code devotedto perform a two-dimensional bulge/disk decomposition directly from theimages of galaxies. The bulge component is fitted with a generalizedSérsic profile, whereas disks have an exponential profile. Noother components are included. Bars and other substructures, likelenses, rings, inner bars, and inner disks, are studied with theresidual images obtained through the subtraction of bulges and disksfrom the original images. This means that a detailed structural analysisof galaxies may be performed with a small number of parameters, andsubstructures may be directly studied with no a priori assumptions. Ashas been already shown by several studies, two-dimensional fitting ismuch more reliable than one-dimensional profile fitting. Moreover, ourcode has been thoroughly tested with artificial data, and we demonstrateit to be an accurate tool for determining structural parameters ofgalaxies. We also show that our code is useful in various kinds ofstudies, including galaxies of, e.g., different morphological types, andinclinations, which also may be observed at different spatialresolutions. Thus, the code has a broader range of potentialapplications than most of the previous codes, which are developed totackle specific problems. To illustrate its usefulness, we present theresults obtained with a sample of 51 mostly early-type galaxies (butcovering the whole Hubble sequence). These results show some of theapplications in which the code may be used: the determination ofparameters for fundamental plane and structural studies, quantitativemorphological classification of galaxies, and the identification andstudy of hidden substructures. We have determined the structuralparameters of the galaxies in our sample and found many examples ofhidden inner disks in ellipticals, secondary bars, nuclear rings anddust lanes in lenticulars and spirals, and also wrong morphologicalclassification cases. We now make BUDDA generally available to theastronomical community.Based on observations made at the Pico dos Dias Observatory(PDO/LNA-CNPq), Brazil. Minor-axis velocity gradients in disk galaxiesWe present the ionized-gas kinematics and photometry of a sample of 4spiral galaxies which are characterized by a zero-velocity plateau alongthe major axis and a velocity gradient along the minor axis,respectively. By combining these new kinematical data with thoseavailable in the literature for the ionized-gas component of the S0s andspirals listed in the Revised Shapley-Ames Catalog of Bright Galaxies werealized that about 50% of unbarred galaxies show a remarkable gasvelocity gradient along the optical minor axis. This fraction rises toabout 60% if we include unbarred galaxies with an irregular velocityprofile along the minor axis. This phenomenon is observed all along theHubble sequence of disk galaxies, and it is particularly frequent inearly-type spirals. Since minor-axis velocity gradients are unexpectedif the gas is moving onto circular orbits in a disk coplanar to thestellar one, we conclude that non-circular and off-plane gas motions arenot rare in the inner regions of disk galaxies.Based on observations carried out at the European Southern Observatoryin La Silla (Chile) (ESO 69.B-0706 and 70.B-0338), with the MultipleMirror Telescope which is a joint facility of the SmithsonianInstitution and the University of Arizona, and with the ItalianTelescopio Nazionale Galileo (AOT-5, 3-18) at the Observatorio del Roquede los Muchachos in La Palma (Spain).Table 1 is only available in electronic form athttp://www.edpsciences.org. Table 5 is only available in electronic format the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) orvia http://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/416/507 Double-barred galaxies. I. A catalog of barred galaxies with stellar secondary bars and inner disksI present a catalog of 67 barred galaxies which contain distinct,elliptical stellar structures inside their bars. Fifty of these aredouble-barred galaxies: a small-scale, inner or secondary bar isembedded within a large-scale, outer or primary bar. I providehomogenized measurements of the sizes, ellipticities, and orientationsof both inner and outer bars, along with global parameters for thegalaxies. The other 17 are classified as inner-disk galaxies, where alarge-scale bar harbors an inner elliptical structure which is alignedwith the galaxy's outer disk. Four of the double-barred galaxies alsopossess inner disks, located in between the inner and outer bars. Whilethe inner-disk classification is ad-hoc - and undoubtedly includes someinner bars with chance alignments (five such probable cases areidentified) - there is good evidence that inner disks form astatistically distinct population, and that at least some are indeeddisks rather than bars. In addition, I list 36 galaxies which may bedouble-barred, but for which current observations are ambiguous orincomplete, and another 23 galaxies which have been previously suggestedas potentially being double-barred, but which are probably not. Falsedouble-bar identifications are usually due to features such as nuclearrings and spirals being misclassified as bars; I provide someillustrated examples of how this can happen.A detailed statistical analysis of the general population of double-barand inner-disk galaxies, as represented by this catalog, will bepresented in a companion paper.Tables \ref{tab:measured} and \ref{tab:deproj} are only available inelectronic form at http://www.edpsciences.org Orbital dynamics of three-dimensional bars - IV. Boxy isophotes in face-on viewsWe study the conditions that favour boxiness of isodensities in theface-on views of orbital 3D models for barred galaxies. Using orbitalweighted profiles we show that boxiness is in general a composite effectthat appears when one considers stable orbits belonging to severalfamilies of periodic orbits. 3D orbits that are introduced due tovertical instabilities play a crucial role in the face-on profiles andenhance their rectangularity. This happens because at the 4:1 radialresonance region we have several orbits with boxy face-on projections,instead of a few rectangular-like x1 orbits, which, in a fair fractionof the models studied so far, are unstable in this region. Massive barsare characterized by rectangular-like orbits. However, we find that itis the pattern speed that affects the elongation of the boxy featuremost, in the sense that fast bars are more elongated than slow ones.Boxiness in intermediate distances between the centre of the model andthe end of the bar can be attributed to x1v1 orbits, or to a combinationof families related to the radial 3:1 resonance. Companions of Bright Barred Shapley-Ames GalaxiesCompanion galaxy environment for a subset of 78 bright and nearby barredgalaxies from the Shapley-Ames Catalog is presented. Among the spiralbarred galaxies, there are Seyfert galaxies, galaxies with circumnuclearstructures, galaxies not associated with any large-scale galaxy cloudstructure, galaxies with peculiar disk morphology (crooked arms), andgalaxies with normal disk morphology; the list includes all Hubbletypes. The companion galaxy list includes the number of companiongalaxies within 20 diameters, their Hubble type, and projectedseparation distance. In addition, the companion environment was searchedfor four known active spiral galaxies, three of them are Seyfertgalaxies, namely, NGC 1068, NGC 1097, and NGC 5548, and one is astarburst galaxy, M82. Among the results obtained, it is noted that theonly spiral barred galaxy classified as Seyfert 1 in our list has nocompanions within a projected distance of 20 diameters; six out of 10Seyfert 2 bar galaxies have no companions within 10 diameters, six outof 10 Seyfert 2 galaxies have one or more companions at projectedseparation distances between 10 and 20 diameters; six out of 12 galaxieswith circumnuclear structures have two or more companions within 20diameters. Minor-axis velocity gradients in spirals and the case of inner polar disksWe measured the ionized-gas and stellar kinematics along the major andminor axis of a sample of 10 early-type spirals. Much to our surprise wefound a remarkable gas velocity gradient along the minor axis of 8 ofthem. According to the kinematic features observed in their ionized-gasvelocity fields, we divide our sample galaxies in three classes ofobjects. (i) NGC 4984, NGC 7213, and NGC 7377 show an overall velocitycurve along the minor axis without zero-velocity points, out to the lastmeasured radius, which is interpreted as due to the warped structure ofthe gaseous disk. (ii) NGC 3885, NGC 4224, and NGC 4586 arecharacterized by a velocity gradient along both major and minor axis,although non-zero velocities along the minor axis are confined to thecentral regions. Such gas kinematics have been explained as being due tonon-circular motions induced by a triaxial potential. (iii) NGC 2855 andNGC 7049 show a change of slope of the velocity gradient measured alongthe major axis (which is shallower in the center and steeper away fromthe nucleus), as well as non-zero gas velocities in the central regionsof the minor axis. This has been attributed to the presence of akinematically-decoupled gaseous component in orthogonal rotation withrespect to the galaxy disk, namely an inner polar disk. The case andorigin of inner polar disks are discussed and the list of their hostgalaxies is presented.Based on observations carried out at the European Southern Observatory(ESO 62.A-0463 and 63.N-0305).Tables 3 and 4 are only available in electronic form at the CDS viaanonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/408/873 Bar Galaxies and Their EnvironmentsThe prints of the Palomar Sky Survey, luminosity classifications, andradial velocities were used to assign all northern Shapley-Ames galaxiesto either (1) field, (2) group, or (3) cluster environments. Thisinformation for 930 galaxies shows no evidence for a dependence of barfrequency on galaxy environment. This suggests that the formation of abar in a disk galaxy is mainly determined by the properties of theparent galaxy, rather than by the characteristics of its environment. The gas content of peculiar galaxies: Counterrotators and polar ringsThis paper studies the global ISM content in a sample of 104 accretinggalaxies, including counterrotators and polar rings, which spans theentire Hubble sequence. The molecular, atomic and hot gas content ofaccretors is compared to a newly compiled sample of normal galaxies. Wepresent results of a small survey of the J=1-0 line of 12COwith the 15 m SEST telescope on a sample of 11 accretors (10counterrotators and 1 polar ring). The SEST sample is enlarged withpublished data from 48 galaxies, for which observational evidence ofcounterrotation in the gas and/or the stars has been found. Furthermore,the available data on a sample of 46 polar ring galaxies has beencompiled. In order to explore the existence of an evolutionary pathlinking the two families of accretors, the gas content ofcounterrotators and polar rings is compared. It was found that thenormalized content of cold gas (Mgas/LB) in polarrings is ~ 1 order of magnitude higher than the reference value derivedfor normal galaxies. The inferred gas masses are sufficient to stabilizepolar rings through self-gravity. In contrast, it was found that thecold gas content of counterrotators is close to normal for all galaxytypes. Although counterrotators and polar rings probably share a commonorigin, the gas masses estimated here confirm that light gas ringsaccreted by future counterrotators may have evolved faster than theself-gravitating structures of polar rings. In this scenario, thetransformation of atomic into molecular gas could be enhanced near thetransition region between the prograde and the retrograde disks,especially in late-type accretors characterized by a high content ofprimordial gas. This is tentatively confirmed in this work: the measuredH2/HI ratio seems larger in counterrotators than in normal orpolar ring galaxies for types later than S0s. Based on observationscollected at SEST telescope, European Southern Observatory, La Silla,Chile. Table 1 is only available in electronic form athttp://www.edpsciences.org The active galaxy NGC 4151: Archetype or exception?The Seyfert galaxy NGC 4151 harbors in its nucleus the most intensivelystudied AGN (Active Galactic Nucleus). Among the brightest AGN (inapparent luminosity) it is the most widely variable and the variationsof its ultraviolet and X-ray spectrum have been studied on time scalesranging from hours to decades. These observations have formed the basisof methods and models which have been found to generally apply to broademission line AGN: the rich and complex relation between the X-ray andUV variations, the comptonization model of the X-ray spectrum frommedium X-ray to γ-rays, the reverberation mapping, thestratification in velocity and physical conditions of the gas in thebroad line region, and a method to estimate the black hole mass fromemission line variability. The large barred spiral which hosts thisnucleus has been extensively studied especially in the central region.Inflow of gas along the x1 and possibly also thex2 orbits have been detected, but since the accretion disk isnot in the galactic plane (as evidenced by the significant angleseparating the radio axis and the rotation axis of the galaxy) theincoming gas seen on kpcs scale must, as it flows further inward, moveout of the galactic plane, along trajectories which are entirelyunknown. Dynamical Properties of Tidally Induced Galactic BarsWe simulated a series of fully three-dimensional N-body models of tidalencounters between a disk galaxy and a perturbing galaxy to investigatethe dynamical properties of tidally induced galactic bars, especially inconnection with the resonance structure, which we have little knowledgeabout. We also calculated another set of N-body models on isolatedgalaxies with bar-unstable disks to make a comparison between galacticbars of different origins. To reveal the resonances in a highlynonaxisymmetric potential for which the ordinary method of derivingresonances using the Omega +/- kappa /2 curves gives unreliable results,we employed the analysis based on the families of periodic orbits in abarred potential. It is found from our simulations that the tidallyinduced bars sometimes rotate quite slowly and have inner Lindbladresonances (ILR) near the bar ends, whereas the spontaneously formedbars have no ILR and end near corotation because of their fast rotation.Since the difference in resonance structures affects the kinematics ofthe interstellar gas, these peculiar bars terminated by ILRs may give usa new way of creating the vast morphological and kinematical varietyobserved in the real barred galaxies, which may not be explained solelyby the spontaneous bars. Slow rotation of the tidal bar is caused by twomajor factors. First, the small mass fraction of the disk in which atidal bar is created leads to a small pattern speed. Second, the angularmomentum transfer from the inner disk to the perturber at the time whenthe perturber passes the pericenter serves to reduce the pattern speed.The former effect is observed most clearly in the light disk models inwhich only 10% of the total mass of the galaxy is ascribed to the diskcomponent. On the other hand, massive disk models in which the disk isstabilized by large random motions in disk stars are quite sensitive tothe second process. This complicated behavior of tidal bars can beunderstood naturally by recognizing two regimes of tidal bar formation.When the tidal perturbation is relatively weak, it works only as atrigger of bar formation, and the bar properties are determined largelyby the internal structure of the target galaxy. On the other hand, asufficiently strong tidal perturbation washes out the intrinsic propertyof the target galaxy and imposes on the bar a common characteristicdetermined by the parameters of the tidal encounter. Bulge-Disk Decomposition of 659 Spiral and Lenticular Galaxy Brightness ProfilesWe present one of the largest homogeneous sets of spiral and lenticulargalaxy brightness profile decompositions completed to date. The 659galaxies in our sample have been fitted with a de Vaucouleurs law forthe bulge component and an inner-truncated exponential for the diskcomponent. Of the 659 galaxies in the sample, 620 were successfullyfitted with the chosen fitting functions. The fits are generally welldefined, with more than 90% having rms deviations from the observedprofile of less than 0.35 mag. We find no correlations of fittingquality, as measured by these rms residuals, with either morphologicaltype or inclination. Similarly, the estimated errors of the fittedcoefficients show no significant trends with type or inclination. Thesedecompositions form a useful basis for the study of the lightdistributions of spiral and lenticular galaxies. The object base issufficiently large that well-defined samples of galaxies can be selectedfrom it. A catalogue of Mg_2 indices of galaxies and globular clustersWe present a catalogue of published absorption-line Mg_2 indices ofgalaxies and globular clusters. The catalogue is maintained up-to-datein the HYPERCAT database. The measurements are listed together with thereferences to the articles where the data were published. A codeddescription of the observations is provided. The catalogue gathers 3541measurements for 1491 objects (galaxies or globular clusters) from 55datasets. Compiled raw data for 1060 galaxies are zero-point correctedand transformed to a homogeneous system. Tables 1, 3, and 4 areavailable in electronic form only at the CDS, Strasbourg, via anonymousftp 130.79.128.5. Table 2 is available both in text and electronic form. Catalogue of HI maps of galaxies. I.A catalogue is presented of galaxies having large-scale observations inthe HI line. This catalogue collects from the literature the informationthat characterizes the observations in the 21-cm line and the way thatthese data were presented by means of maps, graphics and tables, forshowing the distribution and kinematics of the gas. It containsfurthermore a measure of the HI extension that is detected at the levelof the maximum sensitivity reached in the observations. This catalogueis intended as a guide for references on the HI maps published in theliterature from 1953 to 1995 and is the basis for the analysis of thedata presented in Paper II. The catalogue is only available inelectronic form at the CDS via anonymous ftp 130.79.128.5 orhttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/Abstract.html Total magnitude, radius, colour indices, colour gradients and photometric type of galaxiesWe present a catalogue of aperture photometry of galaxies, in UBVRI,assembled from three different origins: (i) an update of the catalogueof Buta et al. (1995) (ii) published photometric profiles and (iii)aperture photometry performed on CCD images. We explored different setsof growth curves to fit these data: (i) The Sersic law, (ii) The net ofgrowth curves used for the preparation of the RC3 and (iii) A linearinterpolation between the de Vaucouleurs (r(1/4) ) and exponential laws.Finally we adopted the latter solution. Fitting these growth curves, wederive (1) the total magnitude, (2) the effective radius, (3) the colourindices and (4) gradients and (5) the photometric type of 5169 galaxies.The photometric type is defined to statistically match the revisedmorphologic type and parametrizes the shape of the growth curve. It iscoded from -9, for very concentrated galaxies, to +10, for diffusegalaxies. Based in part on observations collected at the Haute-ProvenceObservatory. A catalogue of spatially resolved kinematics of galaxies: BibliographyWe present a catalogue of galaxies for which spatially resolved data ontheir internal kinematics have been published; there is no a priorirestriction regarding their morphological type. The catalogue lists thereferences to the articles where the data are published, as well as acoded description of these data: observed emission or absorption lines,velocity or velocity dispersion, radial profile or 2D field, positionangle. Tables 1, 2, and 3 are proposed in electronic form only, and areavailable from the CDS, via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (to130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/Abstract.html Formation of rings in galactic discs by infalling small companionsWe use N-body simulations to study the formation of rings in a discgalaxy by the impact of a small spherical companion. Both barred andnon-barred target discs are considered. We discuss the effect of theproperties of the target disc (distribution of mass in the disc,velocity dispersion, etc.) as well as of the mass and orbit of thecompanion on the properties of the rings, such as their amplitude,width, shape, expansion velocity and lifetime. In particular theamplitude, width, lifetime and expansion velocity of the first ringincrease considerably with companion mass, and so does the expansionvelocity of the particles within it and the total extent of the discafter the interaction. We also discuss the formation and evolution ofspokes and show that they can be caused by companions of relativelysmall mass. In our three examples of oblique impacts on barred targetgalaxies we note important transient displacements of the bar, as wellas changes of its pattern speed and size. An asymmetric pseudo-ring isformed in each case, and during the first stages of its evolution thebar forms part of it. Molecular Gas, Morphology, and Seyfert Galaxy ActivityWe probe the cause of the elevated star formation in host galaxies ofSeyfert 2 nuclei compared with Seyfert 1 hosts and with field galaxies.12CO (1--0) observations of a large sample of Seyfert galaxies indicateno significant difference in the total amount of molecular gas as afunction of the Seyfert nuclear type, nor are Seyfert galaxiessignificantly different in this regard from a sample of field galaxiesonce selection effects are accounted for. Therefore, the total amount ofmolecular gas is not responsible for the enhanced star-forming activityin Seyfert 2 hosts. To probe how this gas is being converted moreefficiently into stars in Seyfert 2 hosts than in the other galaxies, weinvestigate the occurrence of bars, interactions, and distortedmorphologies among Seyfert galaxies. We find a significantly higher rateof asymmetric morphologies for Seyfert 2 galaxies with respect toSeyfert 1 galaxies and field galaxies. Relative to field galaxies, theeffect is at a greater than 99.9% confidence level. The presence ofasymmetric morphologies in individual Seyfert galaxies is correlatedwith their tendency to exhibit enhanced star-forming activity. Theseresults suggest that asymmetric morphologies are an important cause forthe link between Seyfert type and star-forming activity: bars anddistortions in Seyfert 2 hosts are likely both to enhance star-formingactivity and to funnel gas into the nuclear region, thus obscuring andpossibly contributing to the feeding of the active nucleus. Near-IR photometry of disk galaxies: Search for nuclear isophotal twist and double barsWe present a near-IR, mainly $H$ band, photometry of 72 nearby (d <40 Mpc) disk galaxies. The main goal of the survey was to search forisophotal twist inside their nuclear regions. As the twist can be due insome cases to projection effects, rather than resulting from a dynamicalphenomenon, we deproject -- under the simplifying assumption of a 2Dgeometry -- all galaxies whose disk position angle and inclination areknown, the latter not exceeding 75 degrees. We show the ellipticity,position angle and surface brightness radial profiles, and discuss how aprojection of 2D and 3D bars can distort the isophotes, give an illusionof a non-existing double bar or mask a real one. We report 15 newdouble-barred galaxies and confirm 2 detected previously. We identify 14additional twists not known before and we also find nuclear triaxialstructures in three SA galaxies. The frequency of Seyferts amonggalaxies with nuclear bars or twists is high. Since these observationsare part of a larger survey, the interpretation of the results will begiven in a future paper, as soon as the number of objects grows enoughto permit meaningful statistics. As a secondary product, we publishstructural parameters (length and axis ratio) of large-scale bars inorder to extend still scarce data on bars in the near-IR. A survey of the stellar rotation in barred galaxiesWe present stellar velocity- and velocity dispersion- data for 13 SB0galaxies and one SBa, based on 61 spectra collected during a long-termproject developed at ESO. Our primary goal is to provide a databasewidest as possible for the study of the stellar velocity and velocitydispersion fields and for future modeling. New data are presented forsix galaxies, while for the remaining SB0s particular kinematicalaspects were already discussed in previous papers. We found thefollowing results: a) emission lines were detected in our spectra onlyfor 4 out of 14 galaxies considered. When present, they reveal a verypeculiar kinematics, including counter-rotation, warps or radial flows.b) A new case of gas counter-rotation has been found: NGC 7079. c) Thevelocity dispersion along the bar has a smoother trend than in the restof the galaxy. However there is, in general, a similarity between thevelocity dispersion trend (decreasing or flat) measured along the barand that outside it. d) The existence of a waving pattern in the stellarrotation curves of bars is confirmed for the galaxies of our sample seeninclined between 30 and 50 degrees. In addition to this effect, thepercentage of non-circular stellar motions present in the barredgalaxies studied may reach the 20%. Based on observations collected atthe European Southern Observatory, La Silla, Chile. Table 5 is onlyavailable in electronic form at the CDS via anonymous ftp tocdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/Abstract.html} } Spatial Distribution of Ionized Gas in Bright Barred Spiral Galaxies: H(alpha) ImagesCharged Coupled Detector (CCD) images of a set of 52 bright barredspiral galaxies in the narrow band filter H(alpha) and in the broadbandI filter are presented. The sample was selected from the Shapley AmesCatalog, with IRAS fluxes characteristic of star formation and a dusttemperature above Td greater than or equal to 25 K. The study is aimedat identifying the global distribution and the underlying symmetries ofthe structures of ionized gas in barred galaxies. Thirty-two galaxiespresent H(alpha) emission from the innermost central regions, but theemission from nuclear rings is observed only in ten galaxies. About halfof the observed galaxies show H(alpha) emission from several regions inthe disk, and 18 galaxies display emission from along the bar. TheH(alpha) emission from inner and outer rings are easily identified insome galaxies. Some other galaxies present more complicated spatialdistributions, probably due to tidal or direct encounters withneighboring galaxies. The Evolution of Viscous Inclined Disks in Axisymmetric and Triaxial GalaxiesWe have used a set of equations developed by Pringle to follow theevolution of a viscous twisted disk in a galaxy-like potential that isstationary or tumbling relative to inertial space. In an axisymmetricpotential, the disk settles to the equatorial plane at a rate largelydetermined by the coefficient ν_2_, associated with shearperpendicular to the local disk plane. If the disk is initially close tothe galaxy equator, then the rate at which the inclination decays iswell described by the analytic formula of Steiman-Cameron & Durisen;in a highly inclined disk, "breaking waves" of curvature steepen as theypropagate through the disk, rendering the numerical treatmentuntrustworthy. In a triaxial potential that is stationary in inertialspace, settling is faster than in an oblate or prolate galaxy, since thedisk twists simultaneously about two perpendicular axes. If the figureof the potential tumbles about one of its principal axes, the viscousdisk can settle into a warped state in which gas at each radius followsa stable tilted orbit, which precesses in such a way as to remainstationary relative to the underlying galaxy. Ultraviolet properties of early-type galaxies.We analyse the UV properties of early-type galaxies from their UVspectra in the IUE library, including both normal and active nuclei. Weco-added the spectra, and hence the objects into groups of similarspectral properties in the UV, also taking into account their propertiesin the visible/near-infrared ranges. Although, owing to the presence ofa residual fixed pattern noise, IUE data cannot be improved byco-addition as expected for spectra containing only random noise, thisprocedure still provided spectra of higher signal/noise ratio than inprevious studies, often based on individual spectra and therefromderived colour indices. Thanks to the co-adding procedure, informationon spectral features can now be assessed. The red stellar populationgroups exhibit a far-UV flux at different levels. The higher ones denotethe presence of the UV turnup, which possibly exhibits absorptionfeatures, at least as detected through the IUE aperture. As to the bluestellar population groups and/or AGNs, we have carried out simplesyntheses with UV star cluster templates and galaxy spectra in order toinfer the properties such as burst ages and contamination by an activenucleus. It has been possible to derive information on the extinctionlaw affecting some internally reddened galaxies; there are cases wherethe presence of the λ2200 A absorption feature suggests areddening law similar to the Galactic one, and others without theλ2200A feature, suggesting that it is rather an SMC type lawwhich applies, then. The fundamental plane of early-type galaxies: stellar populations and mass-to-light ratio.We analyse the residuals to the fundamental plane (FP) of ellipticalgalaxies as a function of stellar-population indicators; these are basedon the line-strength parameter Mg_2_ and on UBVRI broad-band colors, andare partly derived from new observations. The effect of the stellarpopulations accounts for approximately half the observed variation ofthe mass-to-light ratio responsible for the FP tilt. The residual tiltcan be explained by the contribution of two additional effects: thedependence of the rotational support, and possibly that of the spatialstructure, on the luminosity. We conclude to a constancy of thedynamical-to-stellar mass ratio. This probably extends to globularclusters as well, but the dominant factor would be here the luminositydependence of the structure rather than that of the stellar population.This result also implies a constancy of the fraction of dark matter overall the scalelength covered by stellar systems. Our compilation ofinternal stellar kinematics of galaxies is appended. A Catalog of Stellar Velocity Dispersions. II. 1994 UpdateA catalog of central velocity dispersion measurements is presented,current through 1993 September. The catalog includes 2474 measurementsof 1563 galaxies. A standard set of 86 galaxies is defined, consistingof galaxies with at least three reliable, concordant measurements. It issuggested that future studies observe some of these standard galaxies sothat different studies can be normalized to a consistent system. Allmeasurements are reduced to a normalized system using these standards. Redshifts of 165 Abell and southern rich clusters of galaxiesWe present spectroscopic observations and accurate positions for 286galaxies in clusters taken over several observing sessions, mostly withthe DuPont telescope at Las Campanas Observatory. We derive 165redshifts of rich clusters of which 130 are apparently new values.Redhsifts encompass a wide range out to z = 0.27.
Submit a new article