About thirty percent of all disk galaxies exhibit distinctive ring- like enhancements in their light distribution. This research is an organized observational and theoretical effort to understand the morphology and dynamics of such ring galaxies. The research group, recognized experts in this field of study, will compile a homogeneous catalog of the ring properties for statistical studies, and apply a well-tested n-body computer code incorporating self- gravity, gas, and stellar dynamics to a very large number of particles to study various mechanisms for ring formation.
