What Causes Asymmetric Rotational Velocities in Galaxies?

[ConformalGrpOp]

[Mentor's Note: Post moved to its own thread from here: https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/find-radial-velocity-of-galaxies.813006/]

I suppose this thread might be an appropriate place for me to add my request for assistance on the question of rotating galactic systems. I am interested in the problem of the observed asymmetry in left side/right side rotational velocity of curves of spirals and barred galaxies, but I cannot seem to find any thing that provides a general/comprehensive treatment of the subject, or even an introductory report on the nature and scope of the analytical issues involved. The advanced papers I have read on the subject are highly focused and, it appears to me, do not fully explicate the underlying issues involved in interpretating the "data". For example, I have canvassed probably 75 papers dealing with the kinematics and asymmetric velocity curves of these systems and not one of them identifies the adjustments required for interpreting the rotational velocity data on account of the Hubble shift. I have ordered Binney and Merrifield as it appears to be the go to resource in the field, but, I find it very hard to believe that there isn't a generally available resource that is addressed to the specific problem of sorting out the data evidencing the asymmetry in the rotational velocities of these systems. At this point, I am specifically interested in the modeling of the effects of the Hubble Flow on the interpretation of the Left/Right rotation curves of these galaxies across the scale of low to high z systems. Any assistance in pointing me to helpful sources/resources addressing this subject or the broader subject of asymmetric kinematics (exclusive of "lopsided" systems--spatial asymmetry of mass distribution), of these systems would be much appreciated.

 

[AndyW]

Dear fellow scientist,

Thank you for bringing up this interesting and important topic. As you have mentioned, there is indeed a lack of comprehensive resources on the issue of asymmetric rotational velocities in galaxies. This is partly due to the complexity of the problem and the fact that it involves multiple factors such as the Hubble flow, dark matter, and non-circular motions.

However, there are some resources that might be helpful in understanding and analyzing this issue. Apart from the book you have already ordered, I would suggest looking into the following resources:

1. "Galactic Dynamics" by James Binney and Scott Tremaine. This book covers a wide range of topics related to galaxies, including the dynamics of rotating systems. It also discusses the effects of the Hubble flow on rotational velocities.

2. "The Rotation of Galaxies: A Puzzle Resolved?" by Vera Rubin. This paper discusses the evidence for asymmetric rotational velocities in galaxies and the potential solutions to this puzzle. It also touches upon the effects of the Hubble flow.

3. "The Asymmetric Rotation Curve of NGC 300" by Erwin de Blok and Fabian Walter. This paper presents a detailed analysis of the asymmetric velocity curve of a specific galaxy, NGC 300, and discusses the implications of the Hubble flow on the observed velocities.

I hope these resources will be helpful to you in your research. Additionally, I would also suggest reaching out to experts in the field and discussing your questions with them. They might be able to provide valuable insights and guidance.

Best of luck in your research!