Comments on the expected isotropic distribution curves in galaxy orientation studies

Citation
B. Aryal et W. Saurer, Comments on the expected isotropic distribution curves in galaxy orientation studies, ASTRON ASTR, 364(2), 2000, pp. L97-L100
Citations number
17
Categorie Soggetti
Space Sciences
Journal title
ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
ISSN journal
00046361 → ACNP
Volume
364
Issue
2
Year of publication
2000
Pages
L97 - L100
Database
ISI
SICI code
0004-6361(200012)364:2<L97:COTEID>2.0.ZU;2-U
Abstract
We present results of random simulations for the expected isotropic distrib utions of the polar and azimuthal angles of galaxy rotation axes. It is fou nd that selection effects concerning position and inclination of galaxies c an remarkably change the shape of these distributions. Selection effects of this kind may play an important role when galaxies are taken from an incom plete dataset (e.g. from a limited region of the sky). These effects can le ad to artificial structures (and hence to misinterpretations, as it already happened in the literature) and should be taken into account when deciding upon isotropy or anisotropy in the spatial distribution of spin vectors of galaxies. In this paper we discuss the various effects of selection.