93^rd Uchu Forum

New insights into galactic spiral arms: dynamic structure and observational signatures

Keiichi Wada

University of Kagoshima

Abstract

Textbooks attribute galactic spiral arms to "density waves", but theory suggests that it is difficult induce "stationary density waves in nature". In this presentation, I discuss based on numerical simulations, the physical mechanisms that produce spiral arms, and suggest observational signatures that can be used to differentiate different production mechanisms.