The spiral structure of galaxies is probably related to density waves, primarily governed by gravitational forces. Density waves may result from an inherent instability of galaxies against spiral perturbations as conceived in the conventional density-wave theory or may be forced by other internal or external perturbations of the gravitational field, such as neighbouring galaxies or oval distortions and bars in the inner regions of the galaxies. Reviews of recent developments on the various aspects of gravitational theories of spiral structure have been given by Ambastha and Varma (30.151.029), Athanassoula (33.151.051, 1984), Contopoulos (32.151.021, 34.151.103), Donner (30.151.085), Hunter (34.151.053), James and Wilkinson (29.151.023), Kalnajs (33.151.024), Kormendy (32.151.049), Lin (32.151.040, 33.151.025, 33.151.071), Lin and Bertin (30.151.068, 1984), Lin and Roberts (30.151.045), Martinet (30.151.043), McElroy (34.157.160), Norman (33. 157.088), Pasha and Tsitsin (34.151.042), Sorensen (29.151.024), Thonnard (31.158. 357), and Toomre (30.151.021). Seiden and Gerola (31.151.084) reviewed the theory of formation of spiral structures by stochastic self-propagating star formation in galaxies.
Interpretation of Observations of Spiral Structure in Terms of the Density Wave Theory
