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Name: Randy
Status: educator
Grade: 9-12
Location: MA
Country: N/A
Date: 10/12/2005
Question:
What kind of mass distribution would be required to make the bar in a barred spiral galaxy rotate as a unit? Does it in fact rotate as a unit? Like a rigid body?

Replies:
Very timely!! An article: "Ripples in a Galactic Pond" in the October 2005 issue of Scientific American addresses your question in detail. The article also cites a number of Internet and print sources for further exploration. The dynamics of galaxies is not simple and is not fully understood. To say much more is way beyond what can be done in a format like NEWTON BBS.

Vince Calder


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