Other
Scientific paper
Apr 1990
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1990pasj...42..205m&link_type=abstract
Astronomical Society of Japan, Publications (ISSN 0004-6264), vol. 42, no. 2, 1990, p. 205-215. Research supported by the Japan-
Other
29
Brightness Distribution, Elliptical Galaxies, Halos, Asymptotic Methods, Distribution Functions
Scientific paper
The de Vaucouleurs r exp 1/4 law has been successfully and extensively applied to fit the observed surface brightness distributions of elliptical galaxies. However, its physical basis has been unclear. Here, kinematical discussions are given which determine the density distribution of stars in the halo of an elliptical galaxy as r exp -4, if it has suffered from strong gravitational distubances. Combining such a halo with an isothermal core, an interpolation formula arises which has asymptotic forms of power laws both in small and large r. For the range in r covering a factor of about 100, i.e., the range usually covered by observations, it fits well the de Vancouleurs type r exp 1/4 law for m = 3-10. This arbitrariness of the value of m implies that the r exp 1/4 law, the value of m = 4 in particular, bares little physical significance, though it is the best-fitting function.
Akiyama Kazuhide
Makino Junichiro
Sugimoto Daiichiro
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