Skip to main content
eScholarship
Open Access Publications from the University of California

UC Irvine

UC Irvine Previously Published Works bannerUC Irvine

The connection between shear and star formation in spiral galaxies

Abstract

We present a sample of 33 galaxies for which we have calculated (i) the average rate of shear from published rotation curves, (ii) the far-infrared luminosity from IRAS fluxes, and (iii) the K-band luminosity from the Two Microm All Sky Survey (2MASS). We show that a correlation exists between the shear rate and the ratio of the far-infrared to K-band luminosity. This ratio is essentially a measure of the star formation rate per unit mass, or specific star formation rate. From this correlation we show that a critical shear rate exists, above which star formation would turn off in the discs of galaxies. Using the correlation between shear rate and spiral arm pitch angle, this shear corresponds to the lowest pitch angles typically measured in near-infrared images of spiral galaxies.

Many UC-authored scholarly publications are freely available on this site because of the UC's open access policies. Let us know how this access is important for you.

Main Content
For improved accessibility of PDF content, download the file to your device.
Current View