Related papers: Kinematics of diffuse elliptical galaxies
We consider the consequences of applying general relativity to the description of the dynamics of a galaxy, given the observed flattened rotation curves. The galaxy is modeled as a stationary axially symmetric pressure-free fluid. In spite…
For a sample of 22 core ellipticals and 22 power law ellipticals, I examine the apparent axis ratios of isophotes as a function of the dynamical time at the isophote's mean radius. The two types of elliptical galaxy have a significantly…
We analyze the stellar kinematics of 39 dwarf early-type galaxies (dEs) in the Virgo cluster. Based on the specific stellar angular momentum lambda_e and the ellipticity, we find 11 slow rotators and 28 fast rotators. The fast rotators in…
A model is developed for an idealised spherical galaxy evolving from a uniform mass distribution at the epoch of galactic separation until attaining an equilibrium state through gravitational collapse. The final theoretical radial surface…
Isolated galaxies are rare yet invaluable for studying secular evolution, as their physical properties can remain largely unaffected by external influences for several billion years, primarily shaped by internal evolutionary processes. This…
Elliptical galaxies are modelled as homeoidally striated Jacobi ellipsoids where the peculiar velocity distribution is anisotropic, or equivalently as their adjoints configurations i.e. classical Jacobi ellipsoids of equal mass and axes, in…
N-body simulations of major spiral-spiral mergers with different mass ratios q <= 4:1 are presented. All mergers lead to spheroidal stellar systems with de Vaucouleurs-like surface density profiles, resembling elliptical galaxies. The…
The stability of rotating isotropic spherical stellar systems is investigated by using N-body simulations. Four spherical models with realistic density profiles are studied: one of them fits the luminosity profile of globular clusters,…
High-resolution numerical simulations of galaxy mergers are analysed. The global structure and isophotal shapes of the merger remnants are in good agreement with the observations. Whereas equal-mass mergers lead to anisotropic, boxy…
It is shown that bright cluster dwarf ellipticals follow a relation between metallicity and apparent flattening. Rounder dwarfs tend to be more metal-rich. The evidence is based on colour as well as spectroscopic line-strength data from the…
Results from IRAS and recent optical CCD surveys are examined to discuss the distribution and origin of dust and ionized gas in elliptical galaxies. In strong contrast with the situation among spiral galaxies, masses of dust in elliptical…
There is strong evidence that the mass in the Universe is dominated by dark matter, which exerts gravitational attraction but whose exact nature is unknown. In particular, all galaxies are believed to be embedded in massive haloes of dark…
Elliptical galaxies are the main contributors to the chemical enrichment of the intracluster and intergalactic medium; understanding how they form and evolve enables us to get important hints on the amounts of energy and processed matter…
Very-low-surface-density galactic systems have very low mean accelerations. They thus provide quintessential tests of the Modified Dynamics (MOND), which predicts an increasing mass discrepancy with decreasing acceleration. We describe…
Observations consistently show that elliptical galaxies follow a tight "fundamental plane" scaling relation between size, mean surface brightness and velocity dispersion, with the form $R \propto \sigma^{a}\mu^{b}$. This relation not only…
If the statistics of quasar lensing are to be used to constrain the cosmological model, the various potential systematic uncertainties in the deflector population must be accounted for. One ambiguity in the lensing properties of the…
We present spatially-resolved two-dimensional maps and radial trends of the stellar populations and kinematics for a sample of six compact elliptical galaxies (cE) using spectroscopy from the Keck Cosmic Web Imager (KCWI). We recover their…
Recent studies have shown that massive galaxies in the distant universe are surprisingly compact, with typical sizes about a factor of three smaller than equally massive galaxies in the nearby universe. It has been suggested that these…
The dynamics of an elliptical galaxy within a couple of effective radii can be probed effectively by stars. However, at larger distances planetary nebulae (PNe) replace stars as the tracer of the dynamics. Making use of the motion of PNe,…
We propose a stellar origin for the central dust clouds observed in most giant elliptical galaxies. Dusty gas ejected from evolving red giant stars in E or cD galaxies can cool rapidly even after entering the hot, X-ray emitting gas.…