Star formation and Asymmetry in the spiral arms of M51-- Variable star formation caused by more than one spiral density wave

Alaina L. Henry, A. C. Quillen, Robert Gutermuth

In the inner 3kpc of M51 we find that logarithmic spirals provide good fits to the peak intensities in molecular gas observed by BIMA in the CO (J=1-0) emission line along the spir…