Assigned ID: 306 ----- Submission 1 (Fri Jan 21 19:08:21 GMT 2005) ----- HST observations have recently discovered pronounced differences between the circumnuclear morphology of barred and unbarred galaxies. This discovery provides some of the first evidence that bars directly impact the structure of the circumnuclear ISM and has many implications for bar-induced matter transport, bulge growth, and black hole fueling. I propose to use a new, physically motivated measure of bar strength and the structure map technique of Pogge & Martini to quantify how circumnuclear structure is impacted by bar strength, as well as other galaxy properties such as morphological type and luminosity. This analysis will provide important new insight into how bars drive evolution at the centers of galaxies, particularly what fraction and type of bars have any significant impact at all on their circumnuclear region.

GALAXIES 12 50000. false 0.0 false false false false false SUPPORTED