Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Jul 1993
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1993natur.364..313z&link_type=abstract
Nature (ISSN 0028-0836), vol. 364, no. 6435, p. 313-315.
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
39
Astronomical Models, Galactic Structure, Spiral Galaxies, Galactic Nuclei, Image Processing, Orbital Resonances (Celestial Mechanics)
Scientific paper
Modelling the structure and kinematics of spiral galaxies requires accurate maps of the mass-tracing stellar population. But this has hitherto been difficult because of dust obscuration and the presence of luminous young stars. To minimize the effects of dust and maximize sensitivity to the dominant stellar population, we have obtained K-band (2.2-micron) images of the nearby 'grand-design' spiral galaxy NGC5194 (M51). Our observations reveal remarkable dynamical structures not visible in conventional optical images. We find that the spiral arms extend significantly further towards the galaxy's center than previously observed and can be traced continuously through almost three revolutions - roughly twice as far as with optical images. The coherence of the arms over this large radial range challenges current theories of spiral structure. We suggest that a combination of several mechanisms, such as the interaction of M51 with the neighboring galaxy NGC5195, forcing by the central 'bar', or distortions from density waves, is required to generate the observed structure.
Rieke Marcia
Rix Hans-Walter
Zaritsky Dennis
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