The resonance mechanism for the formation of galactic spirals is considered. Expressions are derived for the resonance responses of disks with circular and nearly circular stellar orbits. The spiral responses produced by the central oval-shaped structures (bars) available in many galaxies are shown to have the characteristic properties of the spirals observed in these galaxies. In the most interesting case of a quasi-steady state, the spiral responses possess a similarity property: the spiral thickness and inclination are proportional to the mean size of an epicycle (an analog of the Larmor circle in plasma).
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