The Kinematics of Arp 295 in H-alpha Emission: an Interacting Galaxy with Highly Asymmetric Rotation

Abstract

We investigate Arp 295, a pair of interacting spirals at z=0.023. We measure scalelengths 5.24 kpc for Arp 295a and 2.52 kpc for 295b. There is a much smaller Im galaxy associated with the larger spiral. Arp 295b is asymmetric with the disk more extended eastwards but with the brightest star-formation regions on the west side of the nucleus. The spectrum of Arp 295b shows strong emission lines with [OII]3727 prominent. We measure the total H-alpha line luminosities of Arp 295b and Arp 295c as 4.69x 10^{41} and 6.76x 10^{40} ergs/s, corresponding to star-formation rates 3.7 and 0.53 solar masses/year. We map the kinematics of Arp 295b in H-alpha with the Manchester Echelle Spectrograph. The maximum disk rotation velocity is 252.6 km/s. The rotation curve of Arp 295b is very asymmetric. The east (approaching) side has a higher radial velocity than the west with the maximum difference 5 arcsec from the nucleus, where it is 88 km/s or a factor 1.675. The slowed rotation on the western side of the nucleus may have locally enhanced star-formation.