Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
Nov 1987
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1987a%26a...186...30n&link_type=abstract
Astronomy and Astrophysics (ISSN 0004-6361), vol. 186, no. 1-2, Nov. 1987, p. 30-38.
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
59
Astronomical Models, Compact Galaxies, Elliptical Galaxies, Galactic Evolution, Orbit Decay, Dwarf Galaxies, Hubble Constant, Mass To Light Ratios
Scientific paper
The authors study some aspects of the evolution of compact M32-type elliptical galaxies (cEs) during their orbital decay onto a massive neighbour. For a typical cE, they find a very slow orbital decay rate: about a few kpc per 109yr. The present mass loss is small, ≡1 - 10 M_sun;/year. The merging of cEs into their massive neighbour should happen within 109 and 1010yr. The small mass loss during the decay implies that progenitors of cEs had already a low-mass when they arose in the vicinity of the massive neighbour, either as formed there or after being captured by it. The authors argue that, in the capture case also, the progenitors were formed with a low mass, ranging between a few times 109 and a few times 1010M_sun;. This gives strong support for cEs to be related to the low mass end of the luminosity function of elliptical galaxies: in particular, cEs could not have evolved from massive ellipticals via tidal stripping. Therefore isolated low-mass ellipticals should exist, that resemble cEs.
Nieto Jean-Luc
Prugniel Philippe
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