Observational Constraints on Disk Heating as a Function of Hubble Type
Observational Constraints on Disk Heating as a Function of Hubble Type
Current understanding of the secular evolution of galactic disks suggests that this process is dominated by two or more "heating" mechanisms, which increase the random motions of stars in the disk. In particular, the gravitational influence of giant molecular clouds and irregularities in the spiral potential have been proposed to …