ASPCS
 
Back to Volume
Paper: Mass Concentration and Bar Dissolution in Spiral Galaxies
Volume: 275, Disks of Galaxies: Kinematics, Dynamics and Perturbations
Page: 157
Authors: Das, M.; Teuben, P. J.; Vogel, S. N.; Harris, A.; Regan, M. W.; Sheth, K.
Abstract: Gas inflow in barred galaxies results in mass accumulation in their centers; this affects the shape of the orbits supporting the bar structure. Simulations in the literature predict that bar ellipticity should decrease with the mass buildup in the center, eventually leading to bar dissolution. We have used the near IR and CO data of the BIMA Survey of Nearby Galaxies (SONG) to investigate whether there is observational evidence for this effect. We used CO rotation curves to determine the mass concentration and the bar isophotes in the near IR images to determine the bar axes and ellipticity; intensity profiles were used to determine the bulge diameters. Our results show a significant correlation between bar ellipticity and central mass concentration; this indicates that the central mass buildup in bars may result ultimately in the dissolution of the bar itself.
Back to Volume