Bibcode
Elmegreen, Debra Meloy; Elmegreen, Bruce G.; Yau, Andrew; Athanassoula, E.; Bosma, Albert; Buta, Ronald J.; Helou, George; Ho, Luis C.; Gadotti, Dimitri A.; Knapen, J. H.; Laurikainen, Eija; Madore, Barry F.; Masters, Karen L.; Meidt, Sharon E.; Menéndez-Delmestre, Karín; Regan, Michael W.; Salo, Heikki; Sheth, Kartik; Zaritsky, Dennis; Aravena, Manuel; Skibba, Ramin; Hinz, Joannah L.; Laine, Jarkko; Gil de Paz, Armando; Muñoz-Mateos, Juan-Carlos; Seibert, Mark; Mizusawa, Trisha; Kim, Taehyun; Erroz-Ferrer, S.
Bibliographical reference
The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 737, Issue 1, article id. 32 (2011).
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2011
Journal
Citations
82
Refereed citations
77
Description
Spiral arm properties of 46 galaxies in the Spitzer Survey of Stellar
Structure in Galaxies (S4G) were measured at 3.6 μm, where
extinction is small and the old stars dominate. The sample includes
flocculent, multiple arm, and grand design types with a wide range of
Hubble and bar types. We find that most optically flocculent galaxies
are also flocculent in the mid-IR because of star formation uncorrelated
with stellar density waves, whereas multiple arm and grand design
galaxies have underlying stellar waves. Arm-interarm contrasts increase
from flocculent to multiple arm to grand design galaxies and with later
Hubble types. Structure can be traced further out in the disk than in
previous surveys. Some spirals peak at mid-radius while others
continuously rise or fall, depending on Hubble and bar type. We find
evidence for regular and symmetric modulations of the arm strength in
NGC 4321. Bars tend to be long, high amplitude, and flat-profiled in
early-type spirals, with arm contrasts that decrease with radius beyond
the end of the bar, and they tend to be short, low amplitude, and
exponential-profiled in late Hubble types, with arm contrasts that are
constant or increase with radius. Longer bars tend to have larger
amplitudes and stronger arms.
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Spiral Galaxies: Evolution and Consequences
Our small group is well known and respected internationally for our innovative and important work on various aspects of the structure and evolution of nearby spiral galaxies. We primarily use observations at various wavelengths, exploiting synergies that allow us to answer the most pertinent questions relating to what the main properties of
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