Thesis (doctoral)--Stockholm University, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Sydney, 2004. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Aug. 7, 2005). Includes bibliographical references (p. 230-256).

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- McMaster University, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available via World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Murdoch University, 2008. / Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Health Sciences. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 307-371)

>Magister Scientiae - MSc / We have used the Spitzer Survey of Stellar Structure in Galaxies (S⁴G) as a representative sample of the local universe (total of 2352 galaxies in S⁴G) to make a catalog of offset disk barred galaxies. Using the combined variation of the position angle and the ellipticity (provided by ellipse fit) and also through visual inspection, we have been able to identify all offset structures in S⁴G. While primary bars are present in 2=3 of the disk galaxies in the visible universe, offset bars have a much lower fraction. Of the ̴ 1500 (3.6µm images) disk galaxies available in S⁴G, we classified only 49 as offset barred disk galaxies. We have determined basic properties (bar to total luminosity ratio, bar length, disk scale-length and bars of offset bars shape) using GALFIT, a widely used galaxy decomposition software package. Our main conclusion is that all the offset bars are boxy, independent of their offset from the galaxy center, or the mass of the host galaxy. Additionally we find that, the early type offset bars seem to be more boxy than the late types. The comparison of our offset sample with two other samples, respectively, low mass and high mass normal barred galaxies ("normal" for bars located at the photometric center of the host galaxy), reveals them to be at an intermediate position between the two normal samples. The bar length, disk scale-length and bar to total luminosity ratio are on average larger than the low mass normal and smaller than high mass normal barred galaxies. We have found, overall, a tighter correlation between the disk and bar properties for offset bars in comparison to the two normal samples. Our explanation is that, although the offset has no visible impact on the global shape of the bars, the process responsible for these disturbances seems to affect the star formation rate such that their disk and bars are on average more active than the normal barred galaxies in the same mass range, but not enough to surpass normal barred galaxies with much higher mass.

The objective of this dissertation is twofold. Firstly an extensive yet concise literature review on the state-of-the-art of near infrared barred spiral galaxy classi cation is presented. Secondly, two quantitative approaches to galaxy classi cation at near infrared wavelengths, the relative gravitational torque method and the isophotal ellipse tting method, are applied for the rst time to a sample of selected Spitzer IRAC nearby barred galaxies. Maximum relative gravitational torques are derived for a sample of 40 nearby bright barred disk galaxies at 3.6 m and 4.5 m. These torques are compared between galaxy pairs at these passbands and we nd an excellent agreement between the 3.6 m and 4.5 m morphology. The sample used incorporates a wide range of inclination and bar strength values. The tight coupling of 3.6 m and 4.5 m morphology provides an opportunity to classify intermediate redshift galaxies that have their near-infrared rest frame emissions shifted red-ward to 4.5 m; i.e.: out to z = 0:25. We nd a greater frequency of higher maximum relative torques in our sample compared with either Block et al. (2002) or Buta et al. (2004) due to sample bias, as this dissertation is aimed at understanding quantitative methods in classifying barred galaxies. Furthermore, we compare results from applying an isophotal ellipse tting technique and a gravitational torque analysis to a common sample of 28 nearby barred S4G/Spitzer galaxies imaged at 3.6 m. These two quantitative bar strength methods are applied to images that have identical orientation and deprojection parameters for an objective comparison. We nd a strong correlation between the gravitational torque and isophotal ellipse tting methods which in principle supports a method for estimating bar potentials out to intermediate redshifts by using an isophotal ellipse tting approach. This has important implications for bar-fraction estimates and galaxy accretion/evolution scenarios.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Rutgers University, 2009. / "Graduate Program in Physics and Astronomy." Includes bibliographical references.

Galactic bars play an important role in the dynamical evolution of their host galaxy, but their own evolution and impact on the local gas reservoir and star formation rate are still open questions. Recent work by the Physics at High Angular resolution in Nearby GalaxieS (PHANGS) collaboration found higher molecular gas surface densities and velocity dispersions in barred galaxies compared to unbarred galaxies. The higher turbulence found in bars is expected to create the observed increases. In this work, I explore bar turbulence in molecular gas using published high resolution measurements of CO(2-1) from the PHANGS-ALMA survey. I compare properties of the molecular gas, such as surface density, velocity dispersion and star formation rate, in the centres of barred and unbarred galaxies. I consider the effect of galaxy environment on these properties from a local perspective (at cloud scales, ~100 pc) for galaxies with and without an AGN. On global scales, I consider these properties in the context of the environment in which a galaxy lives, whether in a cluster or in the field. All three quantities (gas surface density, velocity dispersion, and star formation rate) are found to be enhanced in barred galaxy centres, even without an AGN and regardless of global environment. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Murdoch University, 2008. / Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Health Sciences. Inlcudes bibliographical references (leaves 241-286)

Thesis (M.S.)--Oregon State University, 2002. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 41-44). Also available via the World Wide Web.