Measurements of core sizes in luminous early-type galaxies

Details Measurements of core sizes in luminous early-type galaxies Measurements of core sizes in luminous early-type galaxies

Jul 2003

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2003hst..prop.9927g&link_type=abstract

HST Proposal ID #9927

Computer Science

Hst Proposal Id #9927 Galaxies

Scientific paper

The sizes and slopes of "cores" in luminous elliptical galaxies have received considerable attention since the HST first resolved these structures. It has been suggested they are a signature of hierarchical formation models, due to the gravitational ejection of stars by the coalesence of massive black holes following a merger. To test such theories it is important to have accurate estimates of the core properties. Almost all such measurements to date have used the popular Nuker model to fit the surface brightness profiles within the central 10". However, we have recently demonstrated that Nuker model analyses systematically overestimate core sizes by factors of two or more, due to the intrinsic curvature of the profile outside the core. We have developed a new model which explicitly allows for the curvature in the outer light- profiles, and thus accurately recovers the core properties as well. By using the complete WFPC2 mosaic, we can extract new light-profiles from archived images of luminous, early-type galaxies which extend beyond the arbitrary ~10 arcsecond radius used previously. This will enable us to derive significantly more accurate core sizes and slopes, as well as global quantities such as the Sersic index n, and in so doing better address the issue of core formation.

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