Related papers: Ring or no ring -- Revisiting the Multiphase Nucle…
As the nearest large spiral galaxy, M31 provides a unique opportunity to learn about the structure and evolutionary history of this galaxy type in great detail. Among the many observing programs aimed at M31 are microlensing studies, which…
Dust lanes, nuclear rings, and nuclear spirals are typical gas structures in the inner region of barred galaxies. Their shapes and properties are linked to the physical parameters of the host galaxy. We use high-resolution hydrodynamical…
Although nuclear rings of gas and star formation are common in barred spiral galaxies, current theories of why and how they form do not provide the level of detail needed to quantify the effect that these rings can have on the fueling of…
The inclination of M31 is too close to edge-on for a bar component to be easily recognised and is not sufficiently edge-on for a boxy/peanut bulge to protrude clearly out of the equatorial plane. Nevertheless, a sufficient number of clues…
The study of the gas kinematic in the central 1.5kpc x 1.5kpc region of M31 has revealed several surprises. The starting point of this investigation was the detection at the IRAM-30m telescope of molecular gas with very large line…
We present a multiwavelength investigation of the circumnuclear environment of M31. Based on Chandra/ACIS data, we tightly constrain the X-ray luminosity of M31*, the central supermassive black hole of the galaxy, to be L (0.3-7 keV)<=…
Gaseous nuclear rings are large-scale coherent structures commonly found at the centres of barred galaxies. We propose that they are an accumulation of gas at the inner edge of an extensive gap that forms around the Inner Lindblad Resonance…
Asymmetries in galactic potentials, either self-induced, or caused by a passing companion, play an important role in global gas dynamics in galaxies. In particular, they are able to trigger gas inflow, which in turn feeds nuclear activity.…
Massive star formation in the central regions of spiral galaxies plays an important role in the dynamical and secular evolution of their hosts. Here, we summarise a number of recent investigations of the star formation history and the…
The SAURON integral field spectrograph was used to observe the central area of the barred spiral galaxy M100 (NGC 4321). M100 contains a nuclear ring of star formation, fueled by gas channeled inward by the galaxy's bar. We present maps of…
New images of M31 at 24, 70, and 160 micron taken with the Multiband Imaging Photometer for Spitzer (MIPS) reveal the morphology of the dust in this galaxy. This morphology is well represented by a composite of two logarithmic spiral arms…
We report on our combined analysis of HST, VLT/MUSE, VLT/SINFONI, and ALMA observations of the local Seyfert 2 galaxy, NGC 5728 to investigate in detail the feeding and feedback of the AGN. The datasets simultaneously probe the morphology,…
(Abridged) Star-forming nuclear rings in barred galaxies are common in nearby spirals, and their detailed study can lead to important insights into the evolution of galaxies, their bars, and their central regions. We present integral field…
The Milky Way appears is a typical barred spiral, and comparisons can be made between its nuclear region and those of structurally similar nearby spirals. Maffei 2, M83, IC 342 and NGC 253 are nearby systems whose nuclear region properties…
Using hydrodynamic simulations, we investigate the physical properties of gaseous substructures in barred galaxies and their relationships with the bar strength. The gaseous medium is assumed to be isothermal and unmagnetized. The bar…
The radio emission from M31 (like HI, CO, FIR and H\alpha) is concentrated in the '10 kpc ring', giving an impressive example that cosmic rays are produced in star-forming regions. M31 and M33 have similar strengths of the total magnetic…
We present sub-arcsecond resolution ground-based near-infrared images of the central regions of a sample of twelve barred galaxies with circumnuclear star formation activity, which is organized in ring-like regions typically one kiloparsec…
The inner regions of barred galaxies contain substructures such as off-axis shocks, nuclear rings, and nuclear spirals. These substructure may affect star formation, and control the activity of a central black hole (BH) by determining the…
Nuclear spirals can provide a wealth of information about the nuclear potential in disc galaxies. They are unlikely to form in nuclei with solid-body rotation, yet they are present in a majority of galactic centres. Their morphology varies…
Of the mechanisms proposed to bring gaseous fuel into the central starburst regions of a galaxy, non-axisymmetries in the gravitational potential set up by interactions or by bars are among the most promising. Nevertheless, direct…