Related papers: The Galactic Bar
We use high resolution collisionless $N$-body simulations to study the secular evolution of disk galaxies and in particular the final properties of disks that suffer a bar and perhaps a bar-buckling instability. Although we find that bars…
A historical review of our understanding of bulges is first presented, highlighting similarities and differences between bulges and ellipticals. Then, some topics of current interest are reviewed, bypassing stellar population questions and…
We generalize to elliptical models the argument of Kuijken (1997), which connects the microlensing optical depth towards the Galactic bulge to the Galactic rotation curve. When applied to the latest value from the MACHO collaboration for…
The formation of two stellar bars within a galaxy has proved challenging for numerical studies. It is yet not clear whether the inner bar is born via a star formation process promoted by gas inflow along the outer bar, or whether it is…
We review our current understanding of nuclear stellar discs (NSDs), rotating, and flattened stellar structures found in the central regions of both early- and late-type galaxies. We examine their demographics, kinematics, stellar…
This work examines the evolution of bar formation in disk galaxies over the last 6 giga-years by analyzing the barred galaxy fraction as a function of key structural parameters. A representative sample of local and distant field galaxies…
We propose a new method that can be used to constrain the properties of the Galactic bar (bulge). If the majority of the lensing objects are in the Galactic bar, then we predict a systematic offset in the apparent magnitude between lensed…
The existence of an arc statistics problem was at the center of a strong debate in the last fifteen years. With the aim to clarify if the optical depth for giant gravitational arcs by galaxy clusters in the so called concordance model is…
Microlensing observations have now become a useful tool in searching for non--luminous astrophysical compact objects (brown dwarfs, faint stars, neutron stars, black holes and even planets). Originally conceived for establishing whether the…
We review knowledge of galaxy structures obtained by their emitted light and in the local universe where they can be studied in great detail. We discuss the shapes of, and stellar motions within, galaxies, compositional clues derived from…
We review progress over the past decade in observations of large-scale star formation, with a focus on the interface between extragalactic and Galactic studies. Methods of measuring gas contents and star formation rates are discussed, and…
The ongoing large spectroscopic surveys of the Milky Way such as SEGUE and RAVE have enabled us to take a fresh look at the structure of the Galactic thin and thick disks, and how their structure fits within the framework of structure…
A brief introduction is given to some aspects of the statistical description of the luminous matter distribution. I review the features of the redshift surveys that arise in the statistical analysis of the galaxy clustering. Special topics…
Surveys of the local and distant Universe are the means to test and improve our models of galaxy formation. Substantial successes in the models are evident, while there is also considerable recent progress in identifying what remains to be…
The final astrometric data from the Gaia mission will transform our view of the stellar content of the Galaxy, particularly when complemented with spectroscopic surveys providing stellar parameters, line-of-sight kinematics and elemental…
We discuss different aspects of nested bar dynamics and its effect on the gas flow and fueling of Active Galactic Nuclei. Specifically we focus on the dynamical decoupling between the primary and secondary bars and the gas flow across the…
Subjective classification of spiral galaxies is not sufficient for studying the effect of bars on their physical characteristics. In reality the problem is to comprehend the complex correlations in a multivariate parametric space.…
Although there are many more stellar population studies of elliptical and lenticular galaxies, studies of spiral galaxies are catching up, due to higher signal to noise data on one hand, and better analysis methods on the other. Here I…
Recent observational constraints restrict the strict applicability of stellar dynamics in spirals to a few rotation periods. However, stellar dynamics concepts such as periodic orbits are invaluable for understanding the various dynamical…
Microlensing is now a very popular observational astronomical technique. The investigations accessible through this effect range from the dark matter problem to the search for extra-solar planets. In this review, the techniques to search…