and Cosmology

List of Contents
VIII
2.5.1 The Gravitational Lensing Effect I ............................. 64
2.5.2 Galactic Microlensing Effect ................................... 69
2.5.3 Surveys and Results ............................................ 72
2.5.4 Variations and Extensions ...................................... 75
2.6 The Galactic Center .......................................... 77
2.6.1 Where is the Galactic Center? ................................. 78
2.6.2 The Central Star Cluster ....................................... 78
2.6.3 A Black Hole in the Center of the Milky Way ................. 80
2.6.4 Flares from the Galactic Center ................................ 82
2.6.5 The Proper Motion of Sgr A ∗ .................................. 83
2.6.6 Hypervelocity Stars in the Galaxy ............................. 84
3. The World of Galaxies 3.1 Classification .................................................. 88
3.1.1 Morphological Classification: The Hubble Sequence ......... 88
3.1.2 Other Types of Galaxies ........................................ 89
3.2 Elliptical Galaxies ............................................. 90
3.2.1 Classification ................................................... 90
3.2.2 Brightness Profile .............................................. 90
3.2.3 Composition of Elliptical Galaxies ............................ 92
3.2.4 Dynamics of Elliptical Galaxies ............................... 93
3.2.5 Indicators of a Complex Evolution ............................ 95
3.3 Spiral Galaxies ................................................ 98
3.3.1 Trends in the Sequence of Spirals .............................. 98
3.3.2 Brightness Profile .............................................. 98
3.3.3 Rotation Curves and Dark Matter .............................. 100
3.3.4 Stellar Populations and Gas Fraction .......................... 102
3.3.5 Spiral Structure ................................................. 103
3.3.6 Corona in Spirals? .............................................. 103
3.4 Scaling Relations .............................................. 104
3.4.1 The Tully–Fisher Relation ..................................... 104
3.4.2 The Faber–Jackson Relation ................................... 107
3.4.3 The Fundamental Plane ........................................ 107
3.4.4 The D n –σ Relation ............................................. 108
3.5 Black Holes in the Centers of Galaxies ...................... 109
3.5.1 The Search for Supermassive Black Holes .................... 109
3.5.2 Examples for SMBHs in Galaxies ............................. 110
3.5.3 Correlation Between SMBH Mass and Galaxy Properties .... 111
3.6 Extragalactic Distance Determination ...................... 114
3.6.1 Distance of the LMC ........................................... 115
3.6.2 The Cepheid Distance .......................................... 115
3.6.3 Secondary Distance Indicators ................................. 116
3.7 Luminosity Function of Galaxies ............................ 117
3.7.1 The Schechter Luminosity Function ........................... 118
3.7.2 The Bimodal Color Distribution of Galaxies .................. 119