SIMBAD references

1999ApJ...513L..25R - Astrophys. J., 513, L25-L28 (1999/March-1)

Large stellar disks in small elliptical galaxies.

RIX H.-W., CAROLLO C.M. and FREEMAN K.

Abstract (from CDS):

We present stellar kinematics along the principal axes of seven elliptical galaxies less luminous than MB=-19.5, which extend beyond the half-light radii for all systems in this photometrically selected sample. At large radii, the kinematics not only confirm that rotation and ``diskiness'' are important in faint elliptical galaxies, as was previously known, but show that rotation dominates: the stars at large galactocentric distances have (V/σ)max∼2, similar to the disks in bona fide S0 galaxies. A comparison with published simulations of dissipationless mergers is not straightforward. Yet, within Re, the observed galaxies seem to rotate somewhat faster than 3:1 merger remnants, arguing against major mergers as the dominant mechanism in the final shaping of low-luminosity elliptical galaxies and favoring instead the dissipative formation of a disk.

Abstract Copyright:

Journal keyword(s): Galaxies: Elliptical and Lenticular, cD - Galaxies: Evolution - Galaxies: Formation - Galaxies: Kinematics and Dynamics - Galaxies: Structure

Simbad objects: 11

goto Full paper

goto View the references in ADS

To bookmark this query, right click on this link: simbad:1999ApJ...513L..25R and select 'bookmark this link' or equivalent in the popup menu