Disk Scaling Relations and their Application as Distance Indicators

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AST-0307396HaynesThe process of galaxy and disk formation appears to be sufficiently fine-tuned as to produce final configurations that obey simple scaling laws. These relations can be used to probe the processes that govern the structure and evolution of galactic systems, as well as providing a route to the determination of redshift-independent distances. This research builds on previous work on the Tully-Fisher relation and its use as a distance indicator, by exploiting the database now almost completed. Such a rich database of detailed digital data with uniform characteristics will allow a comprehensive exploration of the basis for the Tully-Fisher relation within models of galaxy and disk formation, as well as characterizing the origins and magnitudes of any biases, corrections, and errors. A new peculiar velocity sample will permit the derivation of the bulk flow field in and around the Local Supercluster, and thus a measurement of the local galaxy and mass density of the Universe, crucial to statistical studies of the influence of environment on the properties of nearby galaxies.The database will be made publicly available and as such will be a valuable reference for other workers, and of considerable use for creating public outreach displays. Students at both the graduate and undergraduate level will participate in the analysis, following in the footsteps of previous graduate, summer REU and undergraduate students who have worked with the investigators.