Published in "Disks of Galaxies: Kinematics, Dynamics and Peturbations", ASP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 275. Edited by E. Athanassoula, A. Bosma, and R. Mujica. ISBN: 1-58381-117-6. San Francisco: Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 2002, pp. 71-82.
http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0203471

For a PDF version of the article, click here.

STRUCTURE, KINEMATICS, AND DYNAMICS OF BULGES

M. Bureau

Hubble Fellow, Columbia Astrophysics Laboratory, 550 West 120th Street, 1027 Pupin Hall, Mail Code 5247, New York, NY 10027, U.S.A.

Abstract: A historical review of our understanding of bulges is first presented, highlighting similarities and differences between bulges and ellipticals. Then, some topics of current interest are reviewed, bypassing stellar population questions and focusing on structural and dynamical issues relating bulges and disks. The topics are: i) the fundamental plane; ii) the evidence for two classes of bulges, R^1/4 and exponential, and its significance for bulge formation; iii) the three-dimensional structure of bulges, in particular the relation between boxy/peanut-shaped bulges and bars; iv) the nuclear properties of bulges, and their possible effects on bulge dynamics and secular evolution; and v) the large-scale mass distribution and evidence for dark matter in bulges. To conclude, new prospects offered by wide-field integral-field spectroscopy and other instrument developments (space and ground-based) are discussed.

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION

BULGES AND ELLIPTICALS: A HISTORICAL POINT-OF-VIEW

FUNDAMENTAL-PLANE OF BULGES

LIGHT DISTRIBUTION OF BULGES

THREE-DIMENSIONAL STRUCTURE OF BULGES

NUCLEAR PROPERTIES OF BULGES

LARGE-SCALE MASS DISTRIBUTION OF BULGES

CONCLUSIONS AND NEW PERSPECTIVES

REFERENCES