Bibcode
Zurita, A.; Relaño, M.; Beckman, J. E.; Knapen, J. H.
Referencia bibliográfica
Astronomy and Astrophysics, v.413, p.73-89 (2004)
Fecha de publicación:
1
2004
Revista
Número de citas
69
Número de citas referidas
60
Descripción
We present emission line mapping of the strongly barred galaxy NGC 1530
obtained using Fabry-Pérot interferometry in Halpha, at
significantly enhanced angular resolution compared with previously
published studies. The main point of the work is to examine in detail
the non-circular components of the velocity field of the gas, presumably
induced by the strongly non-axisymmetric gravitational potential of the
bar. To do this we first derive a model rotation curve making minimum
assumptions about kinematic symmetry, and go on to measure the
non-circular component of the full radial velocity field. This clearly
reveals the streaming motions associated with the spiral density wave
producing the arms, and the quasi-elliptical motions with speeds of
order 100 km s-1 aligned with the bar. It also shows in some
detail how these flows swing in towards and around the nucleus as they
cross a circumnuclear resonance, from the dominant ``x1
orbits" outside the resonance to ``x2 orbits" within it.
Comparing cross-sections of this residual velocity map along and across
the bar with the surface brightness map in Hα indicates a
systematic offset between regions of high non-circular velocity and
massive star formation. To investigate further we produce maps of
velocity gradient along and across the bar. These illustrate very
nicely the shear compression of the gas, revealed by the location of the
dust lanes along loci of maximum velocity gradient perpendicular to the
bar. They also show clearly how shear, seen in our data as velocity
gradient perpendicular to the flow, acts to inhibit massive star
formation, whereas shocks, seen as strong velocity gradients along the
flow vector, act to enhance it. Although the inhibiting effect of gas
shear flow on star formation has long been predicted, this is the
clearest observational illustration so far of the effect, thanks to the
strong shock-induced counterflow system in the bar. It is also the
clearest evidence that dust picks out shock-induced inflow along bars.
These observations should be of considerable interest to those modelling
massive star formation in general.