Near-infrared observations of M83

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Abstract
Surface photometry in the near-infrared (JHK) band of the nearby spiral galaxy M83 (NGC 5236) is presented. The bulge, bar and smooth disc stellar components are prominent features on the maps, and for the first time, spiral arms are detected at all three wavelengths. This confirms the presence of a density wave in the old stellar population of the disc; the contrast of the southeasterly spiral arm implies that the surface stellar density is up to 50 per cent higher in the arm than in the adjacent interarm region. Larger scale scans corroborate this finding, and place a limit of ±0.008 mag kpc–1 on the J–K colour gradient in the disc. Radial surface-brightness profiles follow the standard laws for bulge and disc as fitted to visible wavelength data, and do not support Freeman's Type II classification.

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