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UGC 12591 - The most rapidly rotating disk galaxy

DOI

33

Citations

0

References

1986

Year

Riccardo Giovanelli, Martha P. Haynes, Vera Rubin, Jr. Ford W. K.
The Astrophysical Journal

Abstract

Observations at 21 cm and optical observations of the S0/Sa galaxy UGC 12591 show that this galaxy possesses the largest rotational velocity of any disk system known so far. At 500 km/s, it exceeds by 30 percent the largest values previously measured. The 21 cm profile probably also exhibits an absorption feature near the systemic velocity of the galaxy. It is not yet certain whether UGC 12591 is a unique object at the extremum of the distribution, or one of a class of very massive, early-type disk galaxies, yet unrecognized because of instrumental limitations.