Galaxy Kinematics with VIRUS-P: The Dark Matter Halo of M87

Details Galaxy Kinematics with VIRUS-P: The Dark Matter Halo of M87 Galaxy Kinematics with VIRUS-P: The Dark Matter Halo of M87

Jan 2011

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2011aas...21715102m&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #217, #151.02; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 43, 2011

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Scientific paper

We have conducted axisymmetric, orbit-based dynamical modeling on M87, the second rank galaxy in the Virgo cluster, and find clear evidence for a large dark matter halo. The total enclosed mass within 47 kpc is 6e12 solar masses making M87 one of the most massive dark halos ever measured in the local universe. To construct these dynamical models we fit for the stellar mass-to-light ratio and two dark halo parameters, assuming a cored logarithmic dark halo profile. The dynamical data comes from existing globular cluster data, SAURON stellar kinematics in the center of M87, and new 2-D stellar kinematics taken with VIRUS-P, an integral field unit currently deployed at the McDonald Observatory. These kinematics add significantly to the current data set on M87 and allow for a direct comparison between different dynamical tracers. We find good agreement between the dynamics of the stars and globular cluster data at large radii, indicating these two systems are in equilibrium. However, the enclosed mass we measure is 60% higher than recent mass estimates calculated from X-ray gas measurements. Understanding the systematics present in the various tools used to estimate mass in local galaxies is critical to our understanding of the formation history and the role dark matter plays in the evolution of these galaxies.
We also report on the current status of a VIRUS-P survey of the stellar kinematics of local, massive elliptical galaxies. Our data set includes giant field ellipticals, cluster members and brightest cluster galaxies. The goal of this project is to quantify the amount of dark matter in these systems in order to explore how the role of cluster environment influences both the amount and shape of the dark matter profile.

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