English

The SLUGGS Survey: Globular cluster kinematics in a "double sigma" galaxy - NGC 4473

Astrophysics of Galaxies 2015-08-06 v1

Abstract

NGC 4473 is a so--called double sigma (2σ\sigma) galaxy, i.e. a galaxy with rare, double peaks in its 2D stellar velocity dispersion. Here, we present the globular cluster (GC) kinematics in NGC 4473 out to 10Re\sim10\,R_e (effective radii) using data from combined HST/ACS and Subaru/Suprime--Cam imaging and Keck/DEIMOS spectroscopy. We find that the 2σ\sigma nature of NGC 4473 persists up to 3 ReR_e, though it becomes misaligned to the photometric major axis. We also observe a significant offset between the stellar and GC rotation amplitudes. This offset can be understood as a co--addition of counter--rotating stars producing little net stellar rotation. We identify a sharp radial transition in the GC kinematics at 4Re\sim4\,R_e suggesting a well defined kinematically distinct halo. In the inner region (<4Re<4\,R_e), the blue GCs rotate along the photometric major axis, but in an opposite direction to the galaxy stars and red GCs. In the outer region (>4Re>4\,R_e), the red GCs rotate in an opposite direction compared to the inner region red GCs, along the photometric major axis, while the blue GCs rotate along an axis intermediate between the major and minor photometric axes. We also find a kinematically distinct population of very red GCs in the inner region with elevated rotation amplitude and velocity dispersion. The multiple kinematic components in NGC 4473 highlight the complex formation and evolutionary history of this 2σ\sigma galaxy, as well as a distinct transition between the inner and outer components.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1506.07882,
  title  = {The SLUGGS Survey: Globular cluster kinematics in a "double sigma" galaxy - NGC 4473},
  author = {Adebusola B. Alabi and Caroline Foster and Duncan A. Forbes and Aaron J. Romanowsky and Nicola Pastorello and Jean P. Brodie and Lee R. Spitler and Jay Strader and Christopher Usher},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1506.07882},
  year   = {2015}
}

Comments

13 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS