Probing the kinematics of early-type galaxy halos using planetary nebulae
Abstract
We present first results of a study of the halo kinematics for a sample of early type galaxies using planetary nebulae (PNe) as kinematical tracers. PNe allow to extend up to several effective radii (Re) the information from absorption line kinematics (confined to within 1 or 2 Re), providing valuable information and constraints for merger simulations and galaxy formation models. We find that the specific angular momentum per unit mass has a more complex radial dependence when the halo region is taken into account and that the halo velocity dispersion is related to the total galaxy luminosity, isophotal shape, and number of PNe per unit of luminosity
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.0811.2332,
title = {Probing the kinematics of early-type galaxy halos using planetary nebulae},
author = {L. Coccato and O. Gerhard and M. Arnaboldi and P. Das and N. G. Douglas and K. Kuijken and M. R. Merrifield and N. R. Napolitano and E. Noordermeer and A. J. Romanowsky and M. Capaccioli and A. Cortesi and F. De Lorenzi and K. C. Freeman},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0811.2332},
year = {2009}
}
Comments
4 pages, 3 figures. refereed proceeding of the "Galactic and Stellar Dynamics 2008" conference, Ed. C.M. Boily. To be published in AN, year: 2008, vol: 329, Issue: 9-10, pages: 912-915