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The density-wave theory confronted by observations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 August 2015

Roland Wielen
Roland Wielen*
Affiliation:
Astronomisches Rechen-Institut, Heidelberg, Germany

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Density waves are probably the most general phenomenon producing spiral structure in disk galaxies. The density-wave theory is able to give a rather successful interpretation of the observed spiral structure and of the related kinematics in external galaxies and in our Galaxy. We assume that the reader is familiar with the basic concepts of density-wave theory; for recent reviews see e.g. Kalnajs (1978), Lin (1975), Lindblad (1974), Marochnik and Suchkov (1974), Roberts (1977a,b), Rohlfs (1977, 1978), Shu (1973), Toomre (1977), Wielen (1974a). In Section 2, we discuss the proper theoretical devices which should be used for a meaningful comparison between observations and density-wave theory. The other sections are devoted to a comparison of density-wave theory with some relevant observations, mainly in our Galaxy.

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