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The majority of nearby early-type galaxies contain detectable amounts of emission-line gas at their centers. The nuclear gas kinematics form a valuable diagnostic of the central black hole (BH) mass. Here we analyze and model Hubble Space Telescope STIS observations of a sample of 27 galaxies; 16 Fanaroff-Riley Type I radio galaxies and 11 (more) normal early-type galaxies. We focus here on what can be learned from the nuclear velocity dispersion (line width) of the gas as a complement to the many studies dealing with gas rotation velocities. We find that the dispersion in a STIS aperture of similar to 0."1-0B2 generally exceeds the large-scale stellar velocity dispersion of the galaxy. This is qualitatively consistent with the presence of central BHs but raises the questions of whether the excess gas dispersion is of gravitational or nongravitational origin and whether the implied BH masses are consistent with our current understanding of BH demography (as predicted by the M-sigma relation between BH mass and stellar velocity dispersion). To address this we construct purely gravitational axisymmetric dynamical models for the gas, both thin-disk models and models with more general axis ratios and velocity anisotropies. For the normal galaxies the nuclear gas dispersions are adequately reproduced assuming disks around the BHs with masses that follow the M-sigma relation. In contrast, the gas dispersions observed for the radio galaxies generally exceed those predicted by any of the models. We attribute this to the presence of nongravitational motions in the gas that are similar to or larger than the gravitational motions. The nongravitational motions are presumably driven by the active galactic nucleus (AGN), but we do not find a relation between the radiative output of the AGN and the nongravitational dispersion. Given the uncertainties about the dynamical state of the gas, it is not possible to uniquely determine the BH mass for each galaxy from its nuclear gas dispersion. However, for the sample as a whole the observed dispersions do not provide evidence for significant deviations from the M-sigma relation.

The majority of nearby early-type galaxies contain detectable amounts of emission-line gas at their centers. The nuclear gas kinematics form a valuable diagnostic of the central black hole (BH) mass. Here we analyze and model Hubble Space Telescope STIS observations of a sample of 27 galaxies; 16 Fanaroff-Riley Type I radio galaxies and 11 (more) normal early-type galaxies. We focus here on what can be learned from the nuclear velocity dispersion (line width) of the gas as a complement to the many studies dealing with gas rotation velocities. We find that the dispersion in a STIS aperture of similar to 0."1-0B2 generally exceeds the large-scale stellar velocity dispersion of the galaxy. This is qualitatively consistent with the presence of central BHs but raises the questions of whether the excess gas dispersion is of gravitational or nongravitational origin and whether the implied BH masses are consistent with our current understanding of BH demography (as predicted by the M-sigma relation between BH mass and stellar velocity dispersion). To address this we construct purely gravitational axisymmetric dynamical models for the gas, both thin-disk models and models with more general axis ratios and velocity anisotropies. For the normal galaxies the nuclear gas dispersions are adequately reproduced assuming disks around the BHs with masses that follow the M-sigma relation. In contrast, the gas dispersions observed for the radio galaxies generally exceed those predicted by any of the models. We attribute this to the presence of nongravitational motions in the gas that are similar to or larger than the gravitational motions. The nongravitational motions are presumably driven by the active galactic nucleus (AGN), but we do not find a relation between the radiative output of the AGN and the nongravitational dispersion. Given the uncertainties about the dynamical state of the gas, it is not possible to uniquely determine the BH mass for each galaxy from its nuclear gas dispersion. However, for the sample as a whole the observed dispersions do not provide evidence for significant deviations from the M-sigma relation.

Very Large Array(7) neutral hydrogen observations of the shell elliptical galaxy NGC 3656 reveal an edge-on, warped minor-axis gaseous disk (M (H I) similar to 2 x 10(9) M-circle dot) extending 7 kpc. H I is also found outside the optical image, on two complexes to the northeast and northwest that seem to trace one or two tidal tails, or possibly an outer broken H I disk or ring. These complexes link with the outer edges of the inner disk and appear displaced with respect to the two optical tails in the galaxy. The disk kinematics is strongly lopsided, suggesting recent or ongoing accretion. Integral-field optical fiber spectroscopy at the region of the bright southern shell of NGC 3656 has provided a determination of the stellar velocities of the shell. The shell, at 9 kpc from the center, has traces of H I with velocities bracketing the stellar velocities, providing evidence for a dynamical association of H I and stars at the shell. Within the errors the stars have systemic velocity, suggesting a possible phase-wrapping origin for the shell. We probed a region of 40' x 40' (480 kpc x 480 kpc) x 1160 km s(-1) down to an H I mass sensitivity (6 sigma) of 3 x 10(7) M-circle dot and detect five dwarf galaxies with H I masses ranging from 2 x 10(8) to 2 x 10(9) M-circle dot, all within 180 kpc of NGC 3656 and all within the velocity range (450 km s(-1)) of the H I of NGC 3656. The dwarfs had been previously cataloged, but none had a known redshift. For the NGC 3656 group to be bound requires a total mass of (3-7.4) x 10(12) M-circle dot, yielding a mass-to-light ratio from 125 to 300. The overall H I picture presented by NGC 3656 supports the hypothesis of a disk-disk merger origin or possibly an ongoing process of multiple mergers with nearby dwarfs.

Very Large Array(7) neutral hydrogen observations of the shell elliptical galaxy NGC 3656 reveal an edge-on, warped minor-axis gaseous disk (M (H I) similar to 2 x 10(9) M-circle dot) extending 7 kpc. H I is also found outside the optical image, on two complexes to the northeast and northwest that seem to trace one or two tidal tails, or possibly an outer broken H I disk or ring. These complexes link with the outer edges of the inner disk and appear displaced with respect to the two optical tails in the galaxy. The disk kinematics is strongly lopsided, suggesting recent or ongoing accretion. Integral-field optical fiber spectroscopy at the region of the bright southern shell of NGC 3656 has provided a determination of the stellar velocities of the shell. The shell, at 9 kpc from the center, has traces of H I with velocities bracketing the stellar velocities, providing evidence for a dynamical association of H I and stars at the shell. Within the errors the stars have systemic velocity, suggesting a possible phase-wrapping origin for the shell. We probed a region of 40' x 40' (480 kpc x 480 kpc) x 1160 km s(-1) down to an H I mass sensitivity (6 sigma) of 3 x 10(7) M-circle dot and detect five dwarf galaxies with H I masses ranging from 2 x 10(8) to 2 x 10(9) M-circle dot, all within 180 kpc of NGC 3656 and all within the velocity range (450 km s(-1)) of the H I of NGC 3656. The dwarfs had been previously cataloged, but none had a known redshift. For the NGC 3656 group to be bound requires a total mass of (3-7.4) x 10(12) M-circle dot, yielding a mass-to-light ratio from 125 to 300. The overall H I picture presented by NGC 3656 supports the hypothesis of a disk-disk merger origin or possibly an ongoing process of multiple mergers with nearby dwarfs.

We present ASCA SIS and GIS observations of two GHz peaked spectrum (GPS) radio galaxies, PKS 1345 + 125 (4C12.50, z = 0.122) and 2352+495 (z = 0.237). In the energy band 2-10 keV, 1345+125 is detected with about 2 x 10(43) ergs s(-1), while 2352+495 is not detected with an upper limit

We present ASCA SIS and GIS observations of two GHz peaked spectrum (GPS) radio galaxies, PKS 1345 + 125 (4C12.50, z = 0.122) and 2352+495 (z = 0.237). In the energy band 2-10 keV, 1345+125 is detected with about 2 x 10(43) ergs s(-1), while 2352+495 is not detected with an upper limit