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        Bars and the symmetry of star formation patterns in the discs of spiral galaxies

        Author
        Rozas, M.
        Knapen, J.
        Beckman, J.E.
        Attention
        2299/3715
        Abstract
        We present a test for the degree of symmetry in the distribution of the Hα brightness along the arms of a sample of spiral galaxies. The test consists of deriving the cross-correlation function of the Hα brightness as a function of curvilinear distance along pairs of opposed arms, after unfolding the arms geometrically. Our results reveal a significantly greater degree of symmetry in the non-barred population than in the barred. We derive parameters for both bar strength and bar ellipticity, and compare these with the derived cross-correlations to strengthen this conclusion. We suggest that density waves are a probable cause for the appearance of global, i.e. disc-wide, two-fold symmetry in spiral discs. Comparison with published work on abundance gradients in the discs of barred and non-barred galaxies indicates that, as for the abundances, mixing in the spiral disc as a result of the bar potential may well be responsible for our observation that stronger bars are related to reduced two-fold symmetry in the distribution of star-forming regions along the spiral arms.
        Publication date
        1998
        Published in
        Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
        Published version
        https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-8711.1998.01945.x
        Other links
        http://hdl.handle.net/2299/3715
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