Dark Bulge, Exponential Disk, and Massive Halo in the Large Magellanic Cloud

The rotation curve of the Large Magellanic Cloud, which we have derived from high-resolution HI position-velocity diagrams observed by Kim et al (1998), shows a steep central rise and flat rotation with a gradual rise toward the edge. Using the rotation curve, we have calculated the distribution of surface mass density, and show that the LMC has a dark compact bulge, an exponential disk, and a massive halo. The bulge is 1.2 kpc away from the center of the stellar bar, and is not associated with an optical counterpart. This indicates that the ”dark bulge” has a large fraction of dark matter, with an anomalously high mass-to-luminosity (M/L) ratio. On the contrary, the stellar bar has a smaller M/L ratio compared to the surrounding regions.