Australia Telescope National Facility (CSIRO),
P.O.Box 76, Epping, NSW 2121, Australia
Abstract:
Most of the spirals discussed in the following are well-known starburst
galaxies (M 82, NGC 253, etc.). In addition to their nuclear activity, which
makes them so popular, the selected galaxies have several other phenomena
in common, such as bars, gas outflow, and possibly nuclear rings. The
relationship between those phenomena is discussed in the following. I will
show that the gas dynamics in the outer and inner parts of these galaxies
are strongly related to their starburst activity. Galaxy interactions as well
as bars play an important role as they affect the gas
flow within the disk, driving gas inwards and outwards where it accumulates
at preferred resonance orbits. The inflowing gas provides the supply for the
central starburst region from which gas is eventually ejected into the halo.
I compare the group of nearby starburst galaxies with distant ultra-luminous
galaxies (Arp 220, NGC 6240, etc.), in which strong tidal interactions cause
the radial gas inflow. In both groups high-resolution HI absorption
measurements reveal fast-rotating nuclear rings.
