We address the issue of accuracy in recovering density profiles from
observations of rotation curves of galaxies. We ``observe'' and analyze our
models in much the same way as observers do the real galaxies. We find that the
tilted ring model analysis produces an underestimate of the central rotational
velocity. In some cases the galaxy halo density profile seems to have a flat
core, while in reality it does not. We identify three effects, which explain
the systematic biases: (1) inclination (2), small bulge, and (3) bar. The
presence of even a small non-rotating bulge component reduces the rotation
velocity. In the case of a disk with a bar, the underestimate of the circular
velocity is larger due to a combination of non-circular motions and random
velocities. Signatures of bars can be difficult to detect in the surface
brightness profiles of the model galaxies. The variation of inclination angle
and isophote position angle with radius are more reliable indicators of bar
presence than the surface brightness profiles. The systematic biases in the
central ~ 1 kpc of galaxies are not large. Each effect separately gives
typically a few kms error, but the effects add up. In some cases the error in
circular velocity was a factor of two, but typically we get about 20 percent.
The result is the false inference that the density profile of the halo flattens
in the central parts. Our observations of real galaxies show that for a large
fraction of galaxies the velocity of gas rotation (as measured by emission
lines) is very close to the rotation of stellar component (as measured by
absorption lines). This implies that the systematic effects discussed in this
paper are also applicable both for the stars and emission-line gas.Comment: ApJ, in press, 30 pages, Latex, 21 .eps figure
