Structure and evolution of star-forming gas in late-type spiral galaxies

Fathi, Kambiz; Beckman, John E.; Zurita, Almudena; Relaño, Mónica; Knapen, Johan H.; Östlin, Göran; Carignan, Claude; Chemin, Laurent; Daigle, Olivier; Hernandez, Olivier
Bibliographical reference

Stellar Populations as Building Blocks of Galaxies, Proceedings of IAU Symposium #241. Edited by A. Vazdekis and R. F. Peletier. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007, pp.505-506

Advertised on:
8
2007
Number of authors
10
IAC number of authors
0
Citations
0
Refereed citations
0
Description
We study two dimensional Fabry-Perot interferometric observations of the nearby face-on late-type spiral galaxy, NGC 628. We investigate the role of the individual HII regions together with the large-scale gravitational mechanisms which govern star formation and overall evolution in spiral galaxies. Our kinematical analysis (reinforced by literature maps in HI and CO at lower angular resolution) enables us to verify the presence of an inner rapidly rotating inner disk-like component which we attribute to long term secular evolution of the large-scale spiral arms and oval structure. We find that gas is falling in from the outer parts towards the bluer central regions. This could be an early phase in the formation of a pseudo-bulge. We find signatures of radial motions caused by an m=2 perturbation, which are likely to be responsible for the inflow of material forming the circumnuclear ring and the rapidly rotating inner structure.