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Optical and Theoretical Studies of Giant Clouds in Spiral Galaxies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 August 2015

Bruce G. Elmegreen  and
Debra Meloy Elmegreen
Bruce G. Elmegreen
Affiliation:
Astronomy Department, Columbia University
Debra Meloy Elmegreen
Affiliation:
Hale Observatories, Carnegie Institution of Washington, California Institute of Technology

Abstract

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An optical study of four spiral galaxies, combined with radiative transfer models for transmitted and scattered light, has led to a determination of the opacities and masses of numerous dark patches and dust lanes that outline spiral structure. The observed compression factors for the spiral-like dust lanes are in accord with our expectations from the theory of gas flow in spiral density waves. Several low density (102 cm-3) clouds containing 106 to 107 M⊙ were also studied. We discuss these results in terms of recent theoretical models of cloud and star formation in spiral galaxies. The long-term evolution of giant molecular clouds is shown to have important consequences for the positions and ages of star formation sites in spiral arms.

Type
Research Article
Information
Symposium - International Astronomical Union , Volume 87: Interstellar Molecules , 1980 , pp. 191 - 196
Copyright
Copyright © Reidel 1980 

References

Elmegreen, B.G. (1979). Astrophys. J., 231, pp. 372-383.Google Scholar
Elmegreen, D.M. (1979). Ph.D. Thesis, Harvard University.Google Scholar
Woodward, P.R. (1976). Astrophys. J., 207, pp. 484-501.Google Scholar