NGC 7479: A Case Study

March 2001 • 2001Ap&SS.276..667L

Authors • Laine, S.

Abstract • The most salient features of the barred spiral galaxy NGC 7479 include the unusually strong and long bar, asymmetric spiral structure and peculiar dust lanes. The central, bar-dominated region has been robbed of neutral atomic gas. The neutral hydrogen kinematics of the strong western spiral arm are consistent with substantial non-circular motions. In contrast, the molecular gas is strongly concentrated in the nucleus and along the bar dust lanes. A molecular disc with near-circular motion is found in the nuclear area. Outside this component, the molecular gas has a strong radial velocity component consistent with inflow. The velocity gradients across the bar dust lanes show jumps of a few hundred km s^-1. A comparison of the dust/gas lane morphology between the observations and numerical simulations suggests that the corotation radius is at 1.1 times the bar length. I have modelled many of the peculiar morphological and kinematic features in numerical simulations of a minor merger. The predicted position of the merging companion matches the position of a bright clump in the bar with perturbed kinematics.

Links

• SIMBAD http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbo.pl?bibcode=2001Ap%26SS.276..667L
• ELECTR https://doi.org/10.1023%2FA%3A1017516607075