Gas flow in spiral galaxies - effects of rotation, thermal processes, and self-gravitation

Journal Article · Sat Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1986 · Sov. Astron. (Engl. Transl.); (United States)

OSTI ID:6642953

Berman, V G; Marochnik, L S; Mishurov, IU N; Suchkov, A A; Timonin, P N

The motion of interstellar gas in the gravitational field of a spiral density wave is investigated. Numerical integration of the nonlinear gas-dynamics equations coupled with equations for thermal processes indicates that in order for gas flowing through the spiral field to undergo a phase transition and to condense into clouds by thermal instability, the gaseous model galactic disk must be rotating. If the disk is sufficiently thin and dense, the thermal processes and self-gravitation of the gas will act jointly to produce very compact clumps of rapidly rising density and falling temperature, although they show no tendency toward gravitational fragmentation. 14 references.

• Research Organization: Rostovskii Gosudarstvennyi Universitet, Rostov-on-Don, USSR
• OSTI ID: 6642953
• Journal Information: Sov. Astron. (Engl. Transl.); (United States), Vol. 30
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
GALAXIES
GAS FLOW
SPIRAL CONFIGURATION
COSMIC GASES
DENSITY
GALAXY NUCLEI
GRAVITATION
INTERSTELLAR SPACE
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTION
CONFIGURATION
FLUID FLOW
FLUIDS
GASES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
SPACE
640105* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Galaxies