Spiral Structure Based Limits on the Disk Mass of the Low Surface Brightness Galaxies UGC 6614 and F568-6

Abstract

Upper limits for the disk mass-to-light ratios for the low surface brightness galaxies UGC 6614 and F568-6 (Malin 2) are estimated by considering the minimum velocity perturbations in the HI velocity field that should result from the spiral structure observed in the R band images. The weak observed response in the $ϕ$ velocity component limits the mass-to-light ratios of the disk within a scale length to M/L <~ 3 and 6 for UGC 6614 for F568-6 respectively (in solar units) based upon azimuthal variations observed in the R band images. These limits are sufficiently strong to require a significant dark matter component even in the central regions of these galaxies. Our limits furthermore imply that this dark matter component cannot be in the form of a cold disk since a cold disk would necessarily be involved in the spiral structure. However, a more massive disk could be consistent with the observations because of a non-linear gas response or if the gas is driven by bar-like distortions instead of spiral structure. To produce the large observed arm/interarm HI density variations it is likely that the spiral arm potential perturbation is sufficiently strong to produce shocks in the gas. For a forcing that is greater than 2% of the axisymmetric force, M/L >~ 1 is required in both galaxies in the outer regions. These lower limits imply that the stellar surface density is at least of the same order as the gas surface density. This is consistent with the large scale morphology of the spiral structure, and the stability of the gas disk, both which suggest that a moderate stellar component is required to produce the observed spiral structure. (Shortened abstract)