遥远的宇宙天体：活动星系核

我们所处的宇宙非常巨大,大得超出人们的想象能力。宇宙的基本构成单元是星系,星系的大小不同,形态各异,亮暗不一,颜色迥然。它们共同组成这个多姿多彩的宇宙。天文学家经过长期的观测和归纳,按形状将星系分为以下几类。其中一类星系看起来是一个椭圆形的弥漫天体,被称为椭圆星系（图1左上）;而有些星系是盘状结构,它们有一个明亮的核心,并从核心向外伸展出两条或多条弯曲的旋臂,看起来象一个旋涡一样,所以叫旋涡星系（图1右上）;有些旋涡星系的中心是一个明亮的棒状物,旋臂从棒的两端向外弯曲伸展出动,这类星系中棒旋星系（图1左下）。     

旋涡星系中对任意旋臂倾角一致有效的密度-引力势渐近关系

本文给出对于臂数m≥2的旋涡星系(正常旋涡星系或棒旋星系),对任意旋臂倾角(0≤|β|≤π/2)一致有效的扰动密度-扰动引力势渐近关系。在|β|≤1的特殊情形,它回到紧卷波的各种已知渐近关系;在|β|不小的情形,这一新结果适用于讨论构成棒旋星系的“开展模式”(open mode)。     

恒星速度椭球分布律对旋涡星系的影响

本文讨论在考虑恒星速度椭球分布情形下旋涡星系的性质。由分析可知:旋涡星系的运动是恒星“气流”的紧卷旋涡式轴对称基本运动与密度波扰动的迭加,也即既有物质运动也有波的传播。当旋涡星系的旋臂为曳式时,它是旋闭的,并且恒星速度的椭球分布能导致星系密度波模式的不稳定。这种不稳定性提供了激发并维持星系密度波的一种机制,得以使且系旋臂长期维持。     

面向类旋涡星系盘有效厚度的获取及图像处理方法

面向类(face-on)旋涡星系盘的有效厚度或标高不能通过表面亮度测光的方式测量.为了获得面向类旋涡星系盘的厚度参数,将基于三维星系盘引力势Poisson方程在等角对数螺旋型物质密度扰动情形下的解,运用一种解析法对面向类旋涡星系盘的标高进行测算.为了去除星系核球的光污染而获得旋臂最内点位置(r0)的重要参数,使用了在星系观测图像中扣除双成份(盘+核球)测光模型的图像处理方法.通过对旋涡星系相关结构参数的拟合测量,各得到了一个普通旋涡星系(S)与棒旋星系(SB)的有效厚度与相关参数,并给出了它们的球盘比(rb/rd)和星系盘的标长与厚度之比(rd/H).采用这种在观测图像中扣除双成份测光模型的方法,将更容易看清旋臂结构的最内端,因而这里获得的禁区半径r0的数值往往比从原星系图像上直接测量的数值要小,获得的星系盘有效厚度将更薄.     

棒对旋涡星系中央恒星形成的作用

使用了目前最大的棒旋星系样本之一,着重于研究旋涡星系中央的比恒星形成率(sSFR)和棒结构的关系。我们用1g sSFR=-11 a~(-1)作为星系宁静态和活跃态的分界,统计对比了棒旋星系和非棒旋星系中央的sSFR,发现相对于非棒旋星系,棒旋星系处于中央宁静态的比重更大,而在中央活跃态其恒星形成活动更剧烈。为消除星系样本恒星质量差异对星系中央sSFR统计结果的影响,获得控制样本,使棒旋星系和非棒旋星系具有相同的恒星质量分布。随后发现这两类星系在中央宁静态中的统计差异消失,而在中央活跃态棒旋星系的恒星形成活动依旧相对剧烈,尤其体现在长棒星系中。这说明棒结构对旋涡星系中央的恒星形成起到促进作用,且作用效果与棒的长短相关。     

PGC54等三维旋涡星系盘等效厚度的测定

利用改进的Peng的方法,对Sloan Digital Sky Survey(SDSS)最新发布的旋涡星系的图像进行了处理和旋臂拟合,得到了73个旋涡星系的等效厚度和旋臂的切向角,这些物理量对以后星系性质的进一步研究非常重要.     

棒旋星系原是“老资格”

“哈勃”空间望远镜的最新观测表明,在70亿年前棒旋星系的数量要比现在少得多,表明棒旋星系是趋于成熟的年龄较老的星系,并且确证了“衡量旋涡星系‘成熟度’的一个重要指标就是看它的核心有没有‘恒星棒’”这一看法。     

银河系内区的棒结构

最近十几年来,银河系已被确认为是一个棒旋星系,而不是无棒结构的普通旋涡星系.人们利用各类示踪源,如气体的(l,v)图、红外面测光、红团簇星、恒星计数、微引力透镜效应、恒星运动学等,来探测银河系内区的棒结构和它的结构参数,该文对此做了简要评述.     

宇宙信息

宇宙信息对大尺度磁旋臂的最新解释１９９６年初，天文学家报导在近距星系ＮＧＣ６９４９的可见旋臂之间发现有大尺度的磁旋臂。当时没人能解释这种现象。最近芝加哥大学的两位天文学家认为，一个星系的旋臂是由星系盘中气体的密度波产生的，但新的计算结果表明，在旋涡星...     

一个有限厚度旋涡星系模型

本文将三维引力势Poisson方程在一个特殊模式下的速变相一级渐近解①用于三维定常模拟恒星盘。在考虑了垂直于星盘平面的运动和物理量的三维分布以后,得出了相应的色散关系。用Schmidt模型②③对银河系旋臂进行了实例计算,结果表明:在模拟太阳附近的两个主要旋臂——人马臂和英仙臂的情况下,在内林德布拉德共振圈和共转圈之间、在内林德布拉德共振圈以内以及在外林德布拉德共振圈以外等三个区域里,均可得到稳定模型。最后对在较厚旋涡星系中,螺旋波长随着离开星系盘中心平面的距离不同而变化的特征,作了一个简单的分析。我们认为,这种密度波波长随高度的变化或许可以解释以下观测现象:(1)在有些旋涡星系中旋臂有相当宽度。(2)在有些旋涡星系中,旋臂间界限不很分明。(3)在有些旋涡星系中,旋臂外侧亮度突然减弱,而内侧减弱很慢。     

Maintenance of spiral arms and galactic magnetic field configurations

Of the various proposed mechanisms to maintain spiral arms in spiral galaxies, three have been supported by observations, statistics, or theories (bar, companion, extended solid-body rotation curve). It is shown here that in the presence of a central bar or oval distirtion to maintain spiral arms, the global magnetic field lines also follow the spiral shape of the arms. Excluding then barred galaxies, it is confirmed that in the presence of a companion galaxy to maintain spiral arms, the global magnetic lines in a spiral galaxy will either follow thespiral shape of the arms (when tides are larger), or else will follow thering shape of the orbit of matter crossing spiral arms (when tides are small). In the presence of an extended solid-body rotation curve to maintain spiral arms within the solid-body rotation region, the global magnetic field lines also follow the spiral shape of the arms.The results above do not favour the hypothesis that a weak intergalactic magnetic field could have been amplified enough by gravitational contraction of a protogalaxy to give rise to the observed strength of galactic magnetic fields. On the contrary, leakage of galactic magnetic fields into intergalactic/cosmological space is expected.     

Chiral Property of Spiral and Barred Spiral Galaxies in the Local Supercluster

We present an analysis of the chiral property of 667 spiral and barred spiral galaxies in the Local Supercluster (radial velocity <3 000 km s⁻¹). The arms of a galaxy (spiral or barred spiral) can be distinguished according to their orientation (leading or trailing) relative to the direction of the rotation. We use environment of each galaxy as a subsample in order to study the chiral property of galaxies. In addition, equatorial position angle distributions of leading and trailing arm galaxies are studied. We classify our database according as their morphology, diameters, radial velocities, axial ratios and magnitudes. The distribution of trailing and leading arm galaxies in the Local Supercluster is found homogeneous. A significant dominance of either trailing or leading structures is noticed within the Virgo cluster region, suggesting that the aggregation of these structures might have already started there. The rotation axes of the galaxies in the Virgo cluster is found to lie in the equatorial plane. Chirality of galaxies is found strong for the subsamples that showed a random alignment in the equatorial position angle distribution. Possible explanations of the results will be presented.     

Surface color photometry of five barred spiral galaxies

Distributions of the surface brightness and the surface color of five barred spiral galaxies expressed in the form of digital maps are presented. This is the first step to determine the composition of the components of barred spiral galaxies — bar, spiral arm, inner ring and outer ring — and to obtain an accurate picture of the dynamical model of a barred spiral galaxy. We have found that (a) the bar is redder than the spiral arm and has a color similar to that of the disk and (b) the inner ring of theSB(r) type galaxy is bluer than the bar and rather resembles the spiral arm.     

Disk Thicknesses and Some Parameters of 108 Non-Edge-On Spiral Galaxies

We present disk thicknesses, some other parameters and their statistics of 108 non-edge-on spiral galaxies. The method for determining the disk thickness is based on solving Poisson's equation for a disturbance of matter density in three-dimensional spiral galaxies. From the spiral arms found we could obtain the pitch angles, the inclination of the galactic disk, and the position of the innermost point (the forbidden region with radius r 0 to the galactic center) of the spiral arm, and finally the thickness.     

Density perturbations set up by a rotating galactic dipole

The response of material to a rotating magnetic dipole, considered as primeaval, the axis of which liesin the galactic plane of a model galaxy, is examined. In the three cases of (2.1) gas gradient dominant; (2.2) magnetic pressure and gravity dominant; and (2.3) gas pressure, magnetic pressure and gravity dominant with viscosity neglected, the flow pattern is found to be always characterised by two streamers of high-velocity matter emerging in the plane of the galaxy. The accompanying density distribution suggests a ready analogy with spiral galaxies, especially of SBc and SBb type; the main implication of the hypothesis, however, is that galactic dipoles will inevitably set up density perturbations of a form suitable for the generation of spiral arms via the mechanism of density waves.     

The Role of Magnetic Fields in Spiral Galaxies

Interstellar magnetic fields are strong: up to 25μG in spiralarms and 40μG in nuclear regions.In the spiral galaxy NGC 6946 the average magnetic energy densityexceeds that of the thermal gas. Magnetic fields control the evolution of denseclouds and possibly the global star formation efficiency in galaxies.Gas flows and shocks in spiral arms and bars are modified by magneticfields. Magnetic forces instar-forming circumnuclear regions are able to drive mass inflow towardsthe active nucleus. Magnetic fields are essential for the propagationof cosmic rays and the formation of galactic winds and halos.     

Magnetic and optical spiral arms in the galaxy NGC 6946

The spiral pattern in the nearby spiral galaxy NGC 6946 has been studied using the wavelet transformation technique, applied to galaxy images in polarized and total non-thermal radio emission at λλ 3.5 and 6.2 cm, in broadband red light, in the λ 21.1 cm H  i line and in the optical Hα line. Well-defined, continuous spiral arms are visible in polarized radio emission and red light, where we can isolate a multi-armed pattern in the range of galactocentric distances 1.5–12 kpc, consisting of four long arms and one short spiral segment. The 'magnetic arms' (visible in polarized radio emission) are localized almost precisely between the optical arms. Each magnetic arm is similar in length and pitch angle to the preceding optical arm (in the sense of galactic rotation) and can be regarded as its phase-shifted image. Even details like a bifurcation of an optical arm have their phase-shifted counterparts in the magnetic arms. The average relative amplitude of the optical spiral arms (the stellar density excess over the azimuthal average) grows with galactocentric radius up to 0.3–0.7 at r ≃5 kpc, decreases by a factor of two at r =5–6 kpc and remains low at 0.2–0.3 in the outer parts of the galaxy. By contrast, the magnetic arms have a constant average relative amplitude (the excess in the regular magnetic field strength over the azimuthal average) of 0.3–0.6 in a wide radial range r =1.5–12 kpc. We briefly discuss implications of our findings for theories of galactic magnetic fields.     

The Effect of Bar on Star-forming Activities in Nuclear Regions of Nearby Spiral Galaxies

By using the SDSS spectra, we have studied the star formation properties of the nearby spiral galaxies selected from the Revised Bright Galaxy Sample, and tried to find the effect of bar structure on the star formation activity in the nuclear regions of nearby galaxies. The stellar population composition and the intensity of star formation activities of each sample galaxy are acquired by using the stellar population synthesis code—STARLIGHT, and the star formation properties of nuclear regions are compared with those of integral sample galaxies. We find that the star formation in barred spiral galaxies is more active than that of unbarred spirals, and that barred spirals have younger stellar populations.     

棒对星系核区恒星形成活动的影响

利用SDSS光谱,研究了IRAS卫星亮红外源星表中的盘状星系中的恒星形成性质,并着重探讨了棒对星系核区恒星形成活动的影响.利用星族合成的方法得到了每个样本星系核区的恒星组成性质、恒星形成活动的强度等信息,并比较了星系整体和核区恒星形成性质的差异.得到的结论:除去相互作用,样本中的棒星系显示出比非棒旋星系更强的核区恒星形成活动和更多的年轻星族成分.     

A new formula describing the scaffold structure of spiral galaxies

We describe a new formula capable of quantitatively characterizing the Hubble sequence of spiral galaxies including grand design and barred spirals. Special shapes such as ring galaxies with inward and outward arms are also described by the analytic continuation of the same formula. The formula is   r (φ) = A /log [ B tan   (φ/2 N )]  . This function intrinsically generates a bar in a continuous, fixed relationship relative to an arm of arbitrary winding sweep. A is simply a scale parameter while B , together with N , determines the spiral pitch. Roughly, greater N results in tighter winding. Greater B results in greater arm sweep and smaller bar/bulge, while smaller B fits larger bar/bulge with a sharper bar/arm junction. Thus B controls the 'bar/bulge-to-arm' size, while N controls the tightness much like the Hubble scheme. The formula can be recast in a form dependent only on a unique point of turnover angle of pitch – essentially a one-parameter fit, aside from a scalefactor. The recast formula is remarkable and unique in that a single parameter can define a spiral shape with either constant or variable pitch capable of tightly fitting Hubble types from grand design spirals to late-type large barred galaxies. We compare the correlation of our pitch parameter to Hubble type with that of the traditional logarithmic spiral for 21 well-shaped galaxies. The pitch parameter of our formula produces a very tight correlation with ideal Hubble type suggesting it is a good discriminator compared to logarithmic pitch, which shows poor correlation here similar to previous works. Representative examples of fitted galaxies are shown.