A test of arm induced star formation in spiral galaxies from near-IR and Hαimaging
Abstract
We have imaged a sample of 20 face-on spiral galaxies in Hαand in the near-IR K-band (2.2 microns), in order to determine the location and strength of star formation with respect to perturbations in the old stellar population. We found that star formation rates are significantly enhanced near K-band arms. If K-band light is dominated by emission from old stars, this shows that density waves trigger star formation. However, no significant correlation was found between the global underlying disk properties of spiral galaxies and their total star formation rates.
Turn this paper into a full lesson
ArcXiv compiles a staged curriculum from this paper: 8-12 lessons across beginner → advanced, synthesised section guides, visuals, flashcards, a quiz, exercises, and on-demand deep dives per section. Grounded in the abstract, never invented.