The gas content in galactic disks: Correlation with kinematics

We consider the relationship between the total HI mass in late-type galaxies and the kinematic properties of their disks. The mass M_HI for galaxies with a wide variety of properties, from dwarf dIrr galaxies with active star formation to giant low-brightness galaxies, is shown to correlate with the product V_cR₀ (V_c is the rotational velocity, and R₀ is the radial photometric disks cale length), which characterizes the specific angular momentum of the disk. This correlation, along with the decrease in the relative mass of the gas in a galaxy with increasing V_c, can be explained in terms of the previous assumption that the gas density in the disks of most galaxies is maintained at a level close to the threshold (marginal) stability of a gaseous layer to local gravitational perturbations. In this case, the regulation mechanism of the star formation rate associated with the growth of local gravitational instability in the gaseous layer must play a crucial role in the evolution of the gas content in the galactic disk.