| Issue |
A&A
Volume 440, Number 1, September II 2005
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Page(s) | 67 - 71 | |
| Section | Extragalactic astronomy | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20041913 | |
| Published online | 19 August 2005 | |
Can rotation curves reveal the opacity of spiral galaxies?
University of Crete, Physics Department, PO Box 2208, 710 03 Heraklion, Crete, Greece e-mail: angmis@physics.uoc.gr
Received:
16
August
2004
Accepted:
21
April
2005
The observed anti-correlation between the inclination and the slope of the innermost
part of the rotation curve can be attributed to dust extinction.
However, the implied central face-on
opacity of 
for the most luminous galaxies is embarrassingly
high compared with studies of edge-on galaxies,
which yield central face-on opacities equal to at most 
in the optical band.
I show that the controversy can be resolved by adopting a model that includes
the velocity dispersion of the emitters.
Through the use of such a model, I reproduce the correlation
between galaxy inclination and the slope of its inner rotation curve without having to
resort to excessively high optical depth.
Key words: dust, extinction / galaxies: kinematics and dynamics / galaxies: spiral
© ESO, 2005
Current usage metrics show cumulative count of Article Views (full-text article views including HTML views, PDF and ePub downloads, according to the available data) and Abstracts Views on Vision4Press platform.
Data correspond to usage on the plateform after 2015. The current usage metrics is available 48-96 hours after online publication and is updated daily on week days.
Initial download of the metrics may take a while.