Structure and dynamics of disks in galaxies

To be published in "The Dynamics, Structure & History of Galaxies", ASP Conference Series, 2002, eds. G.S. Da Costa & E.M. Sadler.

For a postscript version of the article, click here.

STRUCTURE AND DYNAMICS OF DISKS IN GALAXIES

P. C. van der Kruit

Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 800, 9700 AV Groningen, the Netherlands, vdkruit@astro.rug.nl

Abstract. One the most cited papers in astronomy is Ken Freeman's 1970 paper on exponential disks in galaxies. In this contribution I review what has been done in this area since then and what we can infer about systematic properties of disks in galaxies from surface photometry, HI synthesis observations and measurements of stellar kinematics. Most disks have radial truncations at 3.6 ± 0.6 radial scalelengths h_R. Galaxy disk thicknesses h_R / h_z = 7.3 ± 2.2 imply that these disk cannot be "maximum disks". I briefly discuss a recent study of the "superthin" edge-on galaxy IC 5249.

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION

PROPERTIES OF DISKS

OBSERVATIONS OF DISKS

IC 5249

REFERENCES

DISCUSSION