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M.D. Thornley, C.J.L. Spohn-Larkins (Bucknell University), M.W. Regan (STScI), K. Sheth (OVRO-Caltech)
We consider the distributions of molecular gas and stellar light in the spiral galaxies studied in the BIMA Survey of Nearby Galaxies, or BIMA SONG (Helfer et al. 2002). An earlier pilot study based on 15 of the 44 BIMA SONG spirals (Regan et al. 2001) finds that half of the galaxies studied demonstrate a central excess of CO emission similar to the excess of stellar light contributed by the bulge component. However, the small sample used in the pilot study limits the comparisons which can be made between Hubble types, and includes a disproportionate fraction of the early-type galaxies in the full sample, thus concentrating on galaxies with more prominent bulges. We are now able to examine the frequency of central CO emission excess more generally as a function of Hubble type.
This work is partially supported by NSF AST 9981289.
The author(s) of this abstract have provided an email address for comments about the abstract: mthornle@bucknell.edu
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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 34, #4
© 2002. The American Astronomical Soceity.