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We present new spectroscopic data for 21 barred spiral galaxies, which we useto explore the effect of bars on disk star formation, and to place constraintson the characteristic lifetimes of bar episodes. The analysis centres onregions of heavily suppressed star formation activity, which we term 'starformation deserts'. Long-slit optical spectroscopy is used to determine H betaabsorption strengths in these desert regions, and comparisons with theoreticalstellar population models are used to determine the time since the lastsignificant star formation activity, and hence the ages of the bars. We findtypical ages of approx. 1 Gyr, but with a broad range, much larger than wouldbe expected from measurement errors alone, extending from about 0.25 Gyr tomore than 4 Gyr. Low-level residual star formation, or mixing of stars fromoutside the 'desert' regions, could result in a doubling of these ageestimates. The relatively young ages of the underlying populations coupled withthe strong limits on the current star formation rule out a gradual exponentialdecline in activity, and hence support our assumption of an abrupt truncationevent.

Star formation suppression and bar ages in nearby barred galaxies