Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Jan 2010
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2010aas...21535402h&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #215, #354.02; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 42, p.537
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
Scientific paper
We present new longslit and multislit spectroscopic observations of the galaxy M32 using the DEIMOS instrument on the Keck II telescope. M32, a satellite of the Andromeda (M31) galaxy, is our nearest example of the very rare and enigmatic compact elliptical (cE) galaxy type. It has long been known that the outer elliptical isophotes in M32 show evidence of distortion, presumably as a result of its tidal interaction with M31. We use these new spectroscopic observations to study the internal kinematics of M32. This task is made challenging by the fact that M32 is projected against the bright/complicated inner regions of M31. However, we are able to statistically quantify the degree of contamination of in the region of M32 by M31 disk and spheroid stars as a function of sky position. We use the long-slit integrated light spectroscopy to measure the rotation curve and velocity dispersion profile of M32 out to a radius of 1 1/2 arcmin. The velocity profile demonstrates that M32 is rotating out to 1 arcmin. These data are analyzed using the Jeans equations to constrain the mass of M32 out to 2 Reff. Beyond this radius, we present constraints on the mean velocity and dispersion using multislit spectroscopy of resolved stars. However, we do not find evidence of a strong radial velocity gradient across the tidal region of M32. This lack of a strong gradient is a constraint that tidal interaction models will have to satisfy.
This research is supported by the National Science Foundation, NASA and the Lawrence Scholars Program.
Cuillandre Jean Charles
Geha Marla
Guhathakurta Puraga
Howley Kirsten
Kalirai Jason
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