Bibcode
Fathi, K.; Beckman, J. E.; Zurita, A.; Relaño, M.; Knapen, J. H.; Daigle, O.; Hernandez, O.; Carignan, C.
Bibliographical reference
Astronomy and Astrophysics, Volume 466, Issue 3, May II 2007, pp.905-916
Advertised on:
5
2007
Journal
Citations
50
Refereed citations
44
Description
Aims:We study two dimensional Fabry-Perot interferometric observations
of the nearby face-on late-type spiral galaxy, NGC 628, in order to
analyse the ionized gas component of the interstellar medium. Covering
the galaxy out to a radius larger than 12 kpc, and with a spatial
sampling of 1.6'', we aim to investigate the large-scale dynamics as
well as feedback from individual H ii regions into their surrounding
medium. Methods: The observed Hα emission distribution and
kinematics are compared with auxiliary data from molecular and atomic
gas observations, which display many similarities. We decompose the
observed line-of-sight velocities into rotational and higher-order
harmonic components, and study the role of gravitational perturbations
along with that of external triggers which can disturb the kinematics
and morphology of NGC 628. We calculate radial profiles of the
emission-line velocity dispersion which we use to study the role of
feedback from individual H ii regions. Results: We verify the
presence of an inner rapidly rotating disc-like component in NGC 628,
which we interpret as caused by slow secular evolution of the
large-scale spiral arms and oval structure. In combination with
auxiliary data, we find indication for that gas is falling in from the
outer parts towards the central regions, where a nuclear ring has formed
at the location of the inner Lindblad resonance radius of an an m=2
perturbation. Complementary continuum subtracted narrow band images in
Hα have been used to identify 376 H ii regions with calibrated
luminosities. The mean velocity dispersion for the ionized gas (even
when excluding pixels belonging to H ii regions) is almost constant out
to 12 kpc, although it varies from 14 to 20 km s-1, with a
steady decline in the outer parts. Conclusions: We have found
kinematic signatures of radial motions caused by an m=2 perturbation.
Such a perturbation may well be responsible for the inflow of material
forming the nuclear ring and the inner rapidly rotating disc-like
structure. The latter, in turn, could help build a pseudo-bulge in NGC
628. The current paper demonstrates a number of tools that we have
developed for building a solid frame work for studying the evolution of
structure in spiral galaxies using two dimensional kinematic
observations.
Table 1 is only available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org The
complete version of the H ii region catalogue (Table A.1) is only
available in electronic form at the CDS via anonymous ftp to
cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or via
http://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/466/905