Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Jan 2009
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009aas...21341818m&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #213, #418.18; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 41, p.233
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
1
Scientific paper
We report the results of an ongoing project to conduct both axis-symmetric and triaxial dynamical modeling on a number of giant elliptical galaxies. This work is based primarily on stellar kinematic IFU data obtained with the VIRUS-P instrument on the 2.7m telescope at McDonald Observatory. This instrument allows for measurement of the stellar kinematics, including higher order Gauss-Hermite moments (h3 and h4), over a range of 0.5Re out to nearly 4Re for certain systems. Kinematic data well beyond 1Re is critical for determining the galaxy's central black hole mass and dark matter halo profile. Recent modeling (Gebhardt and Thomas, in prep.) shows a degeneracy exists in galaxies with shallow light profiles which can lead to an underestimation of the galaxy's central black hole mass. As a first example we have conducted orbit-based dynamical models (Gebhardt et al. 2003) on M87 and find the central black hole mass to be three times its canonical value. This degeneracy is easy to understand; without including a dark halo in the models the stellar mass-to-light ratio is overestimated, subsequently decreasing the required contribution of the black hole to constrain the central kinematics.
We also report on stellar population work conducted out to 2Re for the brightest cluster galaxy, M87, and to over 3Re for the giant field elliptical, NGC 1600. Our results give insight into whether these systems grow primarily through major mergers or slow accretion of smaller systems. A coupling of both the dynamical models and stellar population measurements are needed in order to understand the formation history of these galaxies and galaxy clusters.
Adams Jeffrey
Blanc Guillaume
Gebhardt Karl
Murphy Jeremy
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