HI Rotation Curves Research Articles

Dynamical evidence for a morphology-dependent relation between the stellar and halo masses of galaxies

We derive the stellar-to-halo mass relation (SHMR), namely f⋆ ∝ M⋆/Mh versus M⋆ and Mh, for early-type galaxies from their near-infrared luminosities (for M⋆) and the position-velocity distributions of their globular cluster systems (for Mh). Our individual estimates of Mh are based on fitting a flexible dynamical model with a distribution function expressed in terms of action-angle variables and imposing a prior on Mh from the correlation between halo concentration and mass in the standard Λ cold dark matter (ΛCDM) cosmology. We find that the SHMR for early-type galaxies declines with mass beyond a peak at M⋆ ∼ 5 × 1010 M⊙ and Mh ∼ 1 × 1012 M⊙ (near the mass of the Milky Way). This result is consistent with the standard SHMR derived by abundance matching for the general population of galaxies, and also with previous, less robust derivations of the SHMR for early-type galaxies. However, it contrasts sharply with the monotonically rising SHMR for late-type galaxies derived from extended HI rotation curves and the same ΛCDM prior on Mh that we adopt for early-type galaxies. We show that the SHMR for massive galaxies varies more or less continuously with disc fraction and Hubble type between these rising and falling branches. We also show that the different SHMRs for late-type and early-type galaxies are consistent with the similar scaling relations between their stellar velocities and masses (the Tully–Fisher and the Faber–Jackson relations). As we demonstrate explicitly, differences in the relations between the stellar and halo virial velocities account for the similarity of the scaling relations. We argue that all these empirical findings are natural consequences of a picture in which galactic discs are built mainly by relatively smooth and gradual inflow, regulated by feedback from young stars, while galactic spheroids are built by a combination of merging, black-hole fuelling, and feedback from active galactic nuclei.

The specific angular momenta of superthin galaxies: Cue to their origin?

ABSTRACT Superthin galaxies are low surface brightness (LSB) bulgeless disc galaxies having stellar discs with unusually high planar-to-vertical axes ratio b/a > 10–20, the formation and evolution of which is not well understood. We calculate the specific angular momenta of a sample of six superthins and nine other bulgeless LSBs using stellar photometry, atomic hydrogen (HI) surface density, and high-resolution HI rotation curves available in the literature. We find that the stellar specific angular mometum js, and hence the stellar disc size given by the exponential stellar disc scale length RD, of three superthins and seven LSBs lie above the 95.4 ${{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ confidence band of the js − Vrot regression line for ordinary bulgeless disc galaxies, Vrot being the asymptotic rotational velocity. Further, we find that superthins and LSBs have higher js and RD values for a given value of stellar mass Ms at high values of statistical significance, compared to ordinary disc galaxies. Therefore, we conclude, a superthin is may be distinguished by a characteristically larger disc size which could possibly explain the origin of its large planar-to-vertical axes ratio. Interestingly, we find that the median spin parameter $\lambda = \frac{ j_{\rm {stars}} }{ {\sqrt{(}2) V_{\rm {vir}} R_{\rm {vir}} } }$, Vvir and Rvir being the virial velocity and virial radius of the galaxy respectively, is 0.13 ± 0.01 for superthin galaxies which is an order of magnitude higher than those of LSBs and ordinary disc galaxies, which may have important implications for the existence of superthin stellar discs in these LSB galaxies.

Peak star formation efficiency and no missing baryons in massive spirals

It is commonly believed that galaxies use, throughout Hubble time, a very small fraction of the baryons associated with their dark matter halos to form stars. This so-called low star formation efficiency f⋆ ≡ M⋆/fbMhalo, where fb ≡ Ωb/Ωc is the cosmological baryon fraction, is expected to reach its peak at nearly L* (at efficiency ≈20%) and decline steeply at lower and higher masses. We have tested this using a sample of nearby star-forming galaxies, from dwarfs (M⋆ ≃ 107 M⊙) to high-mass spirals (M⋆ ≃ 1011 M⊙) with HI rotation curves and 3.6 μm photometry. We fit the observed rotation curves with a Bayesian approach by varying three parameters, stellar mass-to-light ratio Υ⋆, halo concentration c, and mass Mhalo. We found two surprising results: (1) the star formation efficiency is a monotonically increasing function of M⋆ with no sign of a decline at high masses, and (2) the most massive spirals (M⋆ ≃ 1−3 × 1011 M⊙) have f⋆ ≈ 0.3−1, i.e. they have turned nearly all the baryons associated with their halos into stars. These results imply that the most efficient galaxies at forming stars are massive spirals (not L* galaxies); they reach nearly 100% efficiency, and thus once both their cold and hot gas is considered in the baryon budget, they have virtually no missing baryons. Moreover, there is no evidence of mass quenching of the star formation occurring in galaxies up to halo masses of a few × 1012 M⊙.

The shapes of the rotation curves of star-forming galaxies over the last ≈10 Gyr

We analyse maps of the spatially-resolved nebular emission of $\approx$1500 star-forming galaxies at $z\approx0.6$-$2.2$ from deep KMOS and MUSE observations to measure the average shape of their rotation curves. We use these to test claims for declining rotation curves at large radii in galaxies at $z\approx1$-$2$ that have been interpreted as evidence for an absence of dark matter. We show that the shape of the average rotation curves, and the extent to which they decline beyond their peak velocities, depends upon the normalisation prescription used to construct the average curve. Normalising in size by the galaxy stellar disk-scale length after accounting for seeing effects ($R_{\rm{d}}^{\prime}$), we construct stacked position-velocity diagrams that trace the average galaxy rotation curve out to $6R_{\rm{d}}^{\prime}$ ($\approx$13 kpc, on average). Combining these curves with average HI rotation curves for local systems, we investigate how the shapes of galaxy rotation curves evolve over $\approx$10 Gyr. The average rotation curve for galaxies binned in stellar mass, stellar surface mass density and/or redshift is approximately flat, or continues to rise, out to at least $6R_{\rm{d}}^{\prime}$. We find a trend between the outer slopes of galaxies' rotation curves and their stellar mass surface densities, with the higher surface density systems exhibiting flatter rotation curves. Drawing comparisons with hydrodynamical simulations, we show that the average shapes of the rotation curves for our sample of massive, star-forming galaxies at $z\approx0$-$2.2$ are consistent with those expected from $\Lambda$CDM theory and imply dark matter fractions within $6R_{\rm{d}}$ of at least $\approx60$ percent.

The baryonic Tully–Fisher relation for different velocity definitions and implications for galaxy angular momentum

We study the baryonic Tully-Fisher relation (BTFR) at z=0 using 153 galaxies from the SPARC sample. We consider different definitions of the characteristic velocity from HI and H-alpha rotation curves, as well as HI line-widths from single-dish observations. We reach the following results: (1) The tightest BTFR is given by the mean velocity along the flat part of the rotation curve. The orthogonal intrinsic scatter is extremely small (6%) and the best-fit slope is 3.85+/-0.09, but systematic uncertainties may drive the slope from 3.5 to 4.0. Other velocity definitions lead to BTFRs with systematically higher scatters and shallower slopes. (2) We provide statistical relations to infer the flat rotation velocity from HI line-widths or less extended rotation curves (like H-alpha and CO data). These can be useful to study the BTFR from large HI surveys or the BTFR at high redshifts. (3) The BTFR is more fundamental than the relation between angular momentum and galaxy mass (the Fall relation). The Fall relation has about 7 times more scatter than the BTFR, which is merely driven by the scatter in the mass-size relation of galaxies. The BTFR is already the "fundamental plane" of galaxy discs: no value is added with a radial variable as a third parameter.

On the dynamics of the Small Magellanic Cloud through high-resolution ASKAP H iobservations

We use new high-resolution HI data from the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) to investigate the dynamics of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). We model the HI gas component as a rotating disc of non-negligible angular size, moving into the plane of the sky and undergoing nutation/precession motions. We derive a high-resolution (~ 10 pc) rotation curve of the SMC out to R ~ 4 kpc. After correcting for asymmetric drift, the circular velocity slowly rises to a maximum value of Vc ~ 55 km/s at R ~ 2.8 kpc and possibly flattens outwards. In spite of the SMC undergoing strong gravitational interactions with its neighbours, its HI rotation curve is akin to that of many isolated gas-rich dwarf galaxies. We decompose the rotation curve and explore different dynamical models to deal with the unknown three-dimensional shape of the mass components (gas, stars and dark matter). We find that, for reasonable mass-to-light ratios, a dominant dark matter halo with mass M(R<4 kpc) = 1-1.5 x 10^9 solar masses is always required to successfully reproduce the observed rotation curve, implying a large baryon fraction of 30%-40%. We discuss the impact of our assumptions and the limitations of deriving the SMC kinematics and dynamics from HI observations.

Sculpting Andromeda – made-to-measure models for M31’s bar and composite bulge: dynamics, stellar and dark matter mass

The Andromeda galaxy (M31) contains a box/peanut bulge (BPB) entangled with a classical bulge (CB) requiring a triaxial modelling to determine the dynamics, stellar and dark matter mass. We construct made-to-measure models fitting new VIRUS-W IFU bulge stellar kinematic observations, the IRAC-3.6$\mu$m photometry, and the disc's HI rotation curve. We explore the parameter space for the 3.6$\mu$m mass-to-light ratio $(\Upsilon_{3.6})$, the bar pattern speed ($\Omega_p$), and the dark matter mass in the composite bulge ($M^B_{DM}$) within 3.2kpc. Considering Einasto dark matter profiles, we find the best models for $\Upsilon_{3.6}=0.72\pm0.02\,M_\odot/L_\odot$, $M^B_{DM}=1.2^{+0.2}_{-0.4}\times10^{10}M_\odot$ and $\Omega_p=40\pm5\,km/s/kpc$. These models have a dynamical bulge mass of $M_{dyn}^B=4.25^{+0.10}_{-0.29}\times10^{10}M_{\odot}$ including a stellar mass of $M^B=3.09^{+0.10}_{-0.12}\times10^{10}M_\odot$(73%), of which the CB has $M^{CB}=1.18^{+0.06}_{-0.07}\times10^{10}M_\odot$(28%) and the BPB $M^{BPB}=1.91\pm0.06\times10^{10}M_\odot$(45%). We also explore models with NFW haloes finding that, while the Einasto models better fit the stellar kinematics, the obtained parameters agree within the errors. The $M^B_{DM}$ values agree with adiabatically contracted cosmological NFW haloes with M31's virial mass and radius. The best model has two bulge components with completely different kinematics that only together successfully reproduce the observations ($\mu_{3.6},\upsilon_{los},\sigma_{los},h3,h4$). The modelling includes dust absorption which reproduces the observed kinematic asymmetries. Our results provide new constraints for the early formation of M31 given the lower mass found for the classical bulge and the shallow dark matter profile, as well as the secular evolution of M31 implied by the bar and its resonant interactions with the classical bulge, stellar halo and disc.

Star formation in the outskirts of DDO 154: a top-light IMF in a nearly dormant disc

We present optical photometry of Hubble Space Telescope (HST) ACS/WFC data of the resolved stellar populations in the outer disc of the dwarf irregular galaxy DDO 154. The photometry reveals that young main sequence stars are almost absent from the outermost HI disc. Instead, most are clustered near the main stellar component of the galaxy. We constrain the stellar initial mass function (IMF) by comparing the luminosity function of the main sequence stars to simulated stellar populations assuming a constant star formation rate over the dynamical timescale. The best-fitting IMF is deficient in high mass stars compared to a canonical Kroupa IMF, with a best-fit slope $\alpha = -2.45$ and upper mass limit $M_U = 16\ M_{\odot}$. This top-light IMF is consistent with predictions of the Integrated Galaxy-wide IMF theory. Combining the HST images with HI data from The HI Nearby Galaxy Survey Treasury (THINGS) we determine the star formation law (SFL) in the outer disc. The fit has a power law exponent $N = 2.92 \pm0.22$ and zero point $A=4.47 \pm 0.65 \times 10^{-7} \ M_{\odot} \ \text{yr}^{-1} \ \text{kpc}^{-2}$. This is depressed compared to the Kennicutt-Schmidt Star Formation Law, but consistent with weak star formation observed in diffuse HI environments. Extrapolating the SFL over the outer disc implies that there could be significant star formation occurring that is not detectable in H$\alpha$. Last, we determine the Toomre stability parameter $Q$ of the outer disc of DDO 154 using the THINGS HI rotation curve and velocity dispersion map. 72% of the HI in our field has $Q\leq 4$ and this incorporates 96% of the observed MS stars. Hence 28% of the HI in the field is largely dormant.

The angular momentum-mass relation: a fundamental law from dwarf irregulars to massive spirals

In a Λ CDM Universe, the specific stellar angular momentum (j*) and stellar mass (M*) of a galaxy are correlated as a consequence of the scaling existing for dark matter haloes (jh ∝2∕3). The shape of this law is crucial to test galaxy formation models, which are currently discrepant especially at the lowest masses, allowing to constrain fundamental parameters, such as, for example, the retained fraction of angular momentum. In this study, we accurately determine the empirical j*−M* relation (Fall relation) for 92 nearby spiral galaxies (from S0 to Irr) selected from the Spitzer Photometry and Accurate Rotation Curves (SPARC) sample in the unprecedented mass range 7 ≲ log M*∕M⊙≲ 11.5. We significantly improve all previous estimates of the Fall relation by determining j* profiles homogeneously for all galaxies, using extended HI rotation curves, and selecting only galaxies for which a robust j* could be measured (converged j*(&lt;R) radial profile). We find the relation to be well described by a single, unbroken power-law j* α M*α over the entire mass range, with α = 0.55 ± 0.02 and orthogonal intrinsic scatter of 0.17 ± 0.01 dex. We finally discuss some implications of this fundamental scaling law for galaxy formation models and, in particular, the fact that it excludes models in which discs of all masses retain the same fraction of the halo angular momentum.

The multiwavelength Tully–Fisher relation with spatially resolved H i kinematics

In this paper we investigate the statistical properties of the Tully-Fisher relation for a sample of 32 galaxies with measured distances from the Cepheid period-luminosity relation and/or TRGB stars. We take advantage of panchromatic photometry in 12 bands (from FUV to 4.5 $\mu$m) and of spatially resolved HI kinematics. We use these data together with three kinematic measures ($W^{i}_{50}$, $V_{max}$ and $V_{flat}$) extracted from the global HI profiles or HI rotation curves, so as to construct 36 correlations allowing us to select the one with the least scatter. We introduce a tightness parameter $\sigma_{\perp}$ of the TFr, in order to obtain a slope-independent measure of the goodness of fit. We find that the tightest correlation occurs when we select the 3.6 $\mu$m photometric band together with the $V_{flat}$ parameter extracted from the HI rotation curve.

Mass content of UGC 6446 and UGC 7524 through H i rotation curves: deriving the stellar discs from stellar population synthesis models

In this work we study the mass distribution of two irregular galaxies, UGC 6446 and UGC 7524, by means of HI rotation curves derived from high resolution HI velocity fields obtained through the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope data archive. We constrain the stellar and gas content of both galaxies with stellar population synthesis models and by deriving the HI+He+metals rotation curves from the total HI surface density maps, respectively. The discrepancy between the circular velocity maxima of the stellar plus the HI+He+metals rotation curves and the observed HI rotation curves of both galaxies requires the inclusion of a substantial amount of dark matter. We explore the Navarro Frenk and White, Burkert, Di Cintio, Einasto and Stadel dark matter halo models. We obtain acceptable fits to the observed HI rotation curves of UGC 6446 and UGC 7524 with the cored Burkert, Einasto and Stadel dark matter halos. In particular, Einasto and Stadel models prove to be an appropriate alternative to the Burkert dark matter halo. This result should increase the empirical basis that justify the usage of dark matter exponential models to adjust the observed rotation curves of real galaxies.

Systematic trends in total-mass profiles from dynamical models of early-type galaxies

We study trends in the slope of the total mass profiles and dark matter fractions within the central half-light radius of 258 early-type galaxies, using data from the volume-limited ATLAS$^{\mathrm{3D}}$ survey. We use three distinct sets of dynamical models, which vary in their assumptions and also allow for spatial variations in the stellar mass-to-light ratio, to test the robustness of our results. We confirm that the slopes of the total mass profiles are approximately isothermal, and investigate how the total-mass slope depends on various galactic properties. The most statistically-significant correlations we find are a function of either surface density, \(\Sigma_e\), or velocity dispersion, \(\sigma_e\). However there is evidence for a break in the latter relation, with a nearly universal logarithmic slope above \(\log_{10}[\sigma_e/(\si{km~s^{-1}})]\sim 2.1\) and a steeper trend below this value. For the 142 galaxies above that critical \(\sigma_e\) value, the total mass-density logarithmic slopes have a mean value \(\left\langle\gamma^\prime\right\rangle = -2.192 \pm 0.016\) (\(1\sigma\) error) with an observed rms scatter of only \(\sigma_{\gamma^\prime}=0.167 \pm 0.016\). Considering the observational errors, we estimate an intrinsic scatter of \(\sigma_{\gamma^\prime}^\mathrm{intr} \approx 0.15\). These values are broadly consistent with those found by strong lensing studies at similar radii and agree, within the tight errors, with values recently found at much larger radii via stellar dynamics or HI rotation curves (using significantly smaller samples than this work).

Baryonic distributions in galaxy dark matter haloes – I. New observations of neutral and ionized gas kinematics

We present a combination of new and archival neutral hydrogen (HI) observations and new ionized gas spectroscopic observations for sixteen galaxies in the statistically representative EDGES kinematic sample. HI rotation curves are derived from new and archival radio synthesis observations from the Very Large Array (VLA) as well as processed data products from the Westerbork Radio Synthesis Telescope (WSRT). The HI rotation curves are supplemented with optical spectroscopic integral field unit (IFU) observations using SparsePak on the WIYN 3.5 m telescope to constrain the central ionized gas kinematics in twelve galaxies. The full rotation curves of each galaxy are decomposed into baryonic and dark matter halo components using 3.6$\mu$m images from the Spitzer Space Telescope for the stellar content, the neutral hydrogen data for the atomic gas component, and, when available, CO data from the literature for the molecular gas component. Differences in the inferred distribution of mass are illustrated under fixed stellar mass-to-light ratio (M/L) and maximum disc/bulge assumptions in the rotation curve decomposition.

THE SMALL SCATTER OF THE BARYONIC TULLY–FISHER RELATION

ABSTRACT In a Λ cold dark matter (ΛCDM) cosmology, the baryonic Tully–Fisher relation (BTFR) is expected to show significant intrinsic scatter resulting from the mass–concentration relation of dark matter halos and the baryonic-to-halo mass ratio. We study the BTFR using a sample of 118 disk galaxies (spirals and irregulars) with data of the highest quality: extended H I ?> rotation curves (tracing the outer velocity) and Spitzer photometry at 3.6 μm (tracing the stellar mass). Assuming that the stellar mass-to-light ratio ( &Upsi; &ast; ?> ) is nearly constant at 3.6 μm, we find that the scatter, slope, and normalization of the BTFR systematically vary with the adopted &Upsi; &ast; ?> . The observed scatter is minimized for &Upsi; &ast; &gsim; 0.5 ?> M &CircleDot; / L &CircleDot; ?> , corresponding to nearly maximal disks in high-surface-brightness galaxies and BTFR slopes close to ∼4. For any reasonable value of &Upsi; &ast; ?> , the intrinsic scatter is ∼0.1 dex, below general ΛCDM expectations. The residuals show no correlations with galaxy structural parameters (radius or surface brightness), contrary to the predictions from some semi-analytic models of galaxy formation. These are fundamental issues for ΛCDM cosmology.

The influence of a kinematically cold young component on disc–halo decompositions in spiral galaxies: insights from solar neighbourhood K-giants

In decomposing the HI rotation curves of disc galaxies, it is necessary to break a degeneracy between the gravitational fields of the disc and the dark halo by estimating the disc surface density. This is done by combining measurements of the vertical velocity dispersion of the disc with the disc scale height. The vertical velocity dispersion of the discs is measured from absorption lines (near the V-band) of near-face-on spiral galaxies, with the light coming from a mixed population of giants of all ages. However, the scale heights for these galaxies are estimated statistically from near-IR surface photometry of edge-on galaxies. The scale height estimate is therefore dominated by a population of older (> 2 Gyr) red giants. In this paper, we demonstrate the importance of measuring the velocity dispersion for the same older population of stars that is used to estimate the vertical scale height. We present an analysis of the vertical kinematics of K-giants in the solar vicinity. We find the vertical velocity distribution best fit by two components with dispersions of 9.6 +/- 0.5 km/s and 18.6 +/- 1.0 km/s, which we interpret as the dispersions of the young and old disc populations respectively. Combining the (single) measured velocity dispersion of the total young + old disc population (13.0 +/- 0.1 km/s) with the scale height estimated for the older population would underestimate the disc surface density by a factor of ~ 2. Such a disc would have a peak rotational velocity that is only 70% of that for the maximal disc, thus making it appear submaximal.

The DiskMass Survey

We present results from 21 cm radio synthesis imaging of 28 spiral galaxies from the DiskMass Survey obtained with the VLA, WSRT, and GMRT facilities. We detail the observations and data reduction procedures and present a brief analysis of the radio data. We construct 21 cm continuum images, global HI emission-line profiles, column-density maps, velocity fields, and position-velocity diagrams. From these we determine star formation rates (SFRs), HI line widths, total HI masses, rotation curves, and azimuthally-averaged radial HI column-density profiles. All galaxies have an HI disk that extends beyond the readily observable stellar disk, with an average ratio and scatter of R_{HI}/R_{25}=1.35+/-0.22, and a majority of the galaxies appear to have a warped HI disk. A tight correlation exists between total HI mass and HI diameter, with the largest disks having a slightly lower average column density. Galaxies with relatively large HI disks tend to exhibit an enhanced stellar velocity dispersion at larger radii, suggesting the influence of the gas disk on the stellar dynamics in the outer regions of disk galaxies. We find a striking similarity among the radial HI surface density profiles, where the average, normalized radial profile of the late-type spirals is described surprisingly well with a Gaussian profile. These results can be used to estimate HI surface density profiles in galaxies that only have a total HI flux measurement. We compare our 21 cm radio continuum luminosities with 60 micron luminosities from IRAS observations for a subsample of 15 galaxies and find that these follow a tight radio-infrared relation, with a hint of a deviation from this relation at low luminosities. We also find a strong correlation between the average SFR surface density and the K-band surface brightness of the stellar disk.

Outer and inner mass distributions of the irregular galaxies UGC 4284 and UGC 11861: constraining the baryonic content through stellar population synthesis studies

In this article we investigate the outer and inner mass distributions of the irregular galaxies UGC 4284 and UGC 11861, taking advantage of published HI and H{\alpha} high resolution rotation curves and constraining the stellar disk of both galaxies throughout stellar population synthesis studies. In addition we take into account the gas content of both galaxies deriving the HI+He rotation curve. The deduced baryonic rotation curves (star+gas) are inadequate to account for the total mass of UGC 4284 and UGC 11861, for that reason we examine the possibility of dark matter to explain the incongruity between the observed HI and H{\alpha} rotation curves of UGC 4284 and UGC 11861 and the derived baryonic rotation curves. We consider NFW, Burkert, DiCintio, Einasto, and the Stadel dark matter halos, to analyse the dark matter content of UGC 4284 and UGC 11861. The principal results of this work are that cored dark matter models better reproduce the dark matter H{\alpha} and HI rotation curves of UGC 11861 and the dark matter HI rotation curve of UGC 4284, while, the H{\alpha} rotation curve of UGC 4284 is better reproduced by a cuspy DiCintio DM model. In general, cored exponential two-parameters models Einasto and Stadel, give better fits than Burkert. This trend, as well as to confirm past results, presents for the first time a comparison between two different exponential dark matter models, Einasto and Stadel, in an attempt to better constrain the range of possible exponential dark matter models applied to real galaxies.

Kinematics and mass modelling of M33: Hα observations

As part of a long-term project to revisit the kinematics and dynamics of the large disc galaxies of the Local Group, we present the first deep, wide-field (42' x 56') 3D-spectroscopic survey of the ionized gas disc of Messier 33. Fabry-Perot interferometry has been used to map its Ha distribution and kinematics at unprecedented angular resolution (<3'') and resolving power (12600), with the 1.6m telescope at the Observatoire du Mont Megantic. The ionized gas distribution follows a complex, large-scale spiral structure, unsurprisingly coincident with the already-known spiral structures of the neutral and molecular gas discs. The kinematical analysis of the velocity field shows that the rotation center of the Ha disc is distant from the photometric center by 170 pc (sky projected distance) and that the kinematical major-axis position angle and disc inclination are in excellent agreement with photometric values. The Ha rotation curve agrees very well with the HI rotation curves for 0 < R < 6.5 kpc, but the Ha velocities are 10-20 km/s higher for R > 6.5 kpc. The reason for this discrepancy is not well understood. The velocity dispersion profile is relatively flat around 16 km/s, which is at the low end of velocity dispersions of nearby star-forming galactic discs. A strong relation is also found between the Ha velocity dispersion and the Ha intensity. Mass models were obtained using the Ha rotation curve but, as expected, the dark matter halo's parameters are not very well constrained since the optical rotation curve only extends out to 8 kpc.

Modeling the Mass Distribution in the Spiral Galaxy NGC 3198

We study the HI Rotation Curve of the spiral galaxy NGC 3198 in terms of mass decomposition. We model the Rotation Curve in the framework of different models for the Dark Matter distribution: the Burkert profile and NFW profile. We show that Universal Rotation Curve (Burkert halo+stellar disk+gas disk) fits data accurately. Instead, the NFW (NFW halo+stellar disk+gas disk) model gives non-physical values of NFW halo parameters.

Evolution of dwarf galaxies: a dynamical perspective

For a rotating galaxy, the inner circular-velocity gradient d_{R}V(0) provides a direct estimate of the central dynamical mass density, including gas, stars, and dark matter. We consider 60 low-mass galaxies with high-quality HI and/or stellar rotation curves (including starbursting dwarfs, irregulars, and spheroidals), and estimate d_{R}V(0) as V(R_d)/R_d, where R_d is the galaxy scale-length. For gas-rich dwarfs, we find that V(R_d)/R_d correlates with the central surface brightness mu(0), the mean atomic gas surface density Sigma_gas, and the star formation rate surface density Sigma_SFR. Starbursting galaxies, such as blue compact dwarfs (BCDs), generally have higher values of V(R_d)/R_d than dwarf irregulars, suggesting that the starburst is closely related to the inner shape of the potential well. There are, however, some "compact" irregulars with values of V(R_d)/R_d similar to BCDs. Unless a redistribution of mass takes place, BCDs must evolve into compact irregulars. Rotating spheroidals in the Virgo cluster follow the same correlation between V(R_d)/R_d and mu(0) as gas-rich dwarfs. They have values of V(R_d)/R_d comparable to those of BCDs and compact irregulars, pointing at evolutionary links between these types of dwarfs. Finally, we find that, similarly to spiral galaxies and massive starbursts, the star-formation activity in dwarfs can be parametrized as Sigma_SFR = epsilon*Sigma_gas/t_orb, where t_orb is the orbital time and epsilon = 0.02.