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| Paper: |
Comparing Molecular Gas and Star Formation Properties in the Central Regions of Barred and Unbarred Spirals |
| Volume: |
275, Disks of Galaxies: Kinematics, Dynamics and Perturbations |
| Page: |
267 |
| Authors: |
Sheth, K.; Vogel, S. N.; Teuben, P. J.; Harris, A. I.; Regan, M. W.; Thornley, M. D.; Helfer, T. T. |
| Abstract: |
A comparative study of the molecular gas properties in the 44 galaxy sample from the BIMA Survey of Nearby Galaxies shows striking differences between barred and unbarred spirals. The mean nuclear molecular gas surface density of barred spirals (<Σnuc>=309±71 Msun pc-2) is three times higher than that of unbarred spirals (<Σnuc>=107±29 Msun pc-2). Nine out of the eleven bars with Σnuc > 300 Msun pc-2 are early types. These differences mirror those seen in star formation activity. We also confirm the main result from an earlier NRO-OVRO study and show that barred spirals are more centrally concentrated than unbarred spirals. The median value of the concentration parameter for barred spirals (fcon=Σnuc/Σdisk=27.7) is a factor of four higher than that for the unbarred spirals (fcon=6.2). These data firmly implicate the large scale bars in transporting and depositing large amounts of molecular gas to the central kiloparsec. |
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