THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM AND STAR FORMATION IN EDGE-ON GALAXIES. II. NGC 4157, 4565, AND 5907
2014
We present a study of the vertical structure of the gaseous and stellar disks in a sample of edge-on galaxies (NGC
4157, 4565, and 5907) using BIMA/CARMA ^(12)CO J = 1 → 0, VLA HI, and Spitzer 3.6 μm data. In order to take
into account projection effects when we measure the disk thickness as a function of radius, we first obtain the
inclination by modeling the radio data. Using the measurement of the disk thicknesses and the derived radial
profiles of gas and stars, we estimate the corresponding volume densities and vertical velocity dispersions. Both
stellar and gas disks have smoothly varying scale heights and velocity dispersions, contrary to assumptions of
previous studies. Using the velocity dispersions, we find that the gravitational instability parameter Q follows a
fairly uniform profile with radius and is ⩾1 across the star-forming disk. The star formation law has a slope that is significantly different from those found in more face-on galaxy studies, both in deprojected and pixel-by-pixel
plots. Midplane gas pressure based on the varying scale heights and velocity dispersions appears to roughly hold a
power-law correlation with the midplane volume density ratio.
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