Annu. Rev. Astron. Astrophys. 1978. 16: 103-39 Copyright © 1978 by Annual Reviews. All rights reserved

Reprinted with kind permission from Annual Reviews, 4139 El Camino Way, Palo Alto, California, USA

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Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION

MEASUREMENT OF THE DISTRIBUTION AND KINEMATICS OF THE GAS

Methods of Observation

Distribution of the Gas

Velocity Fields

THE GENERAL ROTATION

Rotation Curve Shape and Galaxy Morphological Type

Rotation Curves in the Outer Parts of Spiral Galaxies

Velocity Dispersion Measurements

NONCIRCULAR MOTIONS

The Central Regions

Large-Scale Effects of Nuclear Activity

Bars and Oval Distortions

Density Wave Streaming

Warps in the Outer Parts of Spiral Galaxies

Kinematical Effects of Tidal Interactions

CONCLUDING REMARKS

REFERENCES