Open AccessThe radial Tully–Fisher relation for spiral galaxies – I
Author(s) -
Yegorova Irina A.,
Salucci Paolo
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
monthly notices of the royal astronomical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.058
H-Index - 383
eISSN - 1365-2966
pISSN - 0035-8711
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2007.11637.x
Subject(s) - physics , tully–fisher relation , galaxy rotation curve , astrophysics , spiral galaxy , bulge , galaxy , lenticular galaxy , luminosity , elliptical galaxy , rotation (mathematics) , astronomy , spiral (railway) , disc galaxy , galaxy formation and evolution , geometry , mathematical analysis , mathematics
We find a new Tully–Fisher‐like relation for spiral galaxies holding at different galactocentric radii. This radial Tully–Fisher relation allows us to investigate the distribution of matter in the optical regions of spiral galaxies. This relation, applied to three different samples of rotation curves of spiral galaxies, directly proves that: (i) the rotation velocity of spirals is a good measure of their gravitational potential and both the rotation curve's amplitudes and profiles are well predicted by galaxy luminosity, (ii) the existence of a dark component, less concentrated than the luminous one, and (iii) a scaling law, according to which, inside the disc optical size: M dark / M lum = 0.5( L B /10 11 L B ⊙ ) −0.7 .