Unveiling Dark Matter with HI and Halpha Data - Observational Problems

Abstract

We present combined Halpha+HI rotation curves for a sample of spiral galaxies. Most of the velocity profiles (spectra at single points) in these galaxies are asymmetric, preventing the use of standard methods like the first moment analysis and the single Gaussian fitting. We thus propose a method similar to the Envelope-Tracing method (Sofue & Rubin 2001) to analyse those profiles from which we obtain HI rotation curves in good agreement with the Halpha rotation curves. These final rotation curves provide the required high resolution in the inner parts of the galaxies, but also extend out to typically 2-3 optical radii. They will hence allow us to investigate the distribution of dark matter.

7 pages, 4 figures. Oral contribution at the 'ALMA extragalactic and Cosmology Science Workshop on Dark Matter', Bordeaux, France, 22-24 May 2002. To be published in electronic form at http://www.observ.u-bordeaux.fr/public/alma_workshop/darkmatter/ Added references and corrected typos