Document Type

Article

Publication Date

5-1999

Publication Title

The Astronomical Journal

Department

Department of Physics and Astronomy

Abstract

A compilation of 21 cm line spectral parameters specifically designed for application of the Tully-Fisher (TF) distance method is presented for 1201 spiral galaxies, primarily field Sc galaxies, for which optical I-band photometric imaging is also available. New H I line spectra have been obtained for 881 galaxies. For an additional 320 galaxies, spectra available in a digital archive have been reexamined to allow application of a single algorithm for the derivation of the TF velocity width parameter. A velocity width algorithm is used that provides a robust measurement of rotational velocity and permits an estimate of the error on that width taking into account the effects of instrumental broadening and signal-to-noise. The digital data are used to establish regression relations between measurements of velocity widths using other common prescriptions so that comparable widths can be derived through conversion of values published in the literature. The uniform H I line widths presented here provide the rotational velocity measurement to be used in deriving peculiar velocities via the TF method.

DOI

10.1086/300851

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