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Bolton et al. (2007) have derived a mass-based fundamental plane using photometric and spectroscopic observations of 36 strong gravitational lenses. The lensing allows a direct determination of the mass-surface density and so avoids the usual dependence on mass-to-light ratio. We consider this same sample in the context of modified Newtonian dynamics (MOND) and demonstrate that the observed mass-based fundamental plane coincides with the MOND fundamental plane determined previously for a set of high-order polytropic spheres chosen to match the observed range of effective radii and velocity dispersions in elliptical galaxies. Moreover, the observed projected mass within one-half an effective radius is consistent with the mass in visible stars plus a small additional component of ``phantom dark matter'' resulting from the MOND contribution to photon deflection., Comment: Minor revisions in response to referee. Revised title. Accepted in MNRAS

We use a sample of 53 massive early-type strong gravitational lens galaxies with well-measured redshifts (ranging from z = 0.06 to 0.36) and stellar velocity dispersions (between 175 and 400 km s(-1)) from the Sloan Lens ACS (SLACS) Survey to derive numerous empirical scaling relations. The ratio between central stellar velocity dispersion and isothermal lens-model velocity dispersion is nearly unity within errors. The SLACS lenses define a fundamental plane (FP) that is consistent with the FP of the general population of early-type galaxies. We measure the relationship between strong-lensing mass M-lens within one-half effective radius (R-e/2) and the dimensional mass variable M-dim equivalent to G(-1) sigma(2)(e2)(R-e/2) to be log (M-lens/10(11) M-circle dot) = (1.03 +/- 0.04) log (M-dim/10(11) M-circle dot)+ (0.54 +/- 0.02) (where sigma(e2) is the projected stellar velocity dispersion within R-e/2). The near-unity slope indicates that the mass-dynamical structure of massive elliptical galaxies is independent of mass and that the "tilt'' of the SLACS FP is due entirely to variation in total (luminous plus dark) mass- to-light ratio with mass. Our results imply that dynamical masses serve as a good proxies for true masses in massive elliptical galaxies. Regarding the SLACS lenses as a homologous population, we find that the average enclosed two-dimensional (2D) mass profile goes as log[M(

We present the definitive data for the full sample of 131 strong gravitational lens candidates observed with the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) aboard the Hubble Space Telescope by the Sloan Lens ACS (SLACS) Survey. All targets were selected for higher redshift emission lines and lower redshift continuum in a single Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) spectrum. The foreground galaxies are primarily of early-type morphology, with redshifts from z similar or equal to 0.05 to 0.5 and velocity dispersions from sigma similar or equal to 160 to 400 km s(-1); the faint background emission-line galaxies have redshifts ranging from z similar or equal to 0.2 to 1.2. We confirm 70 systems showing clear evidence of multiple imaging of the background galaxy by the foreground galaxy, as well as an additional 19 systems with probable multiple imaging. For 63 clear lensing systems, we present singular isothermal ellipsoid and light-traces-mass gravitational lens models fitted to the ACS imaging data. These strong-lensing mass measurements are supplemented by magnitudes and effective radii measured from ACS surface brightness photometry and redshifts and velocity dispersions measured from SDSS spectroscopy. These data constitute a unique resource for the quantitative study of the interrelations between mass, light, and kinematics in massive early-type galaxies. We show that the SLACS lens sample is statistically consistent with being drawn at random from a parent sample of SDSS galaxies with comparable spectroscopic parameters and effective radii, suggesting that the results of SLACS analyses can be generalized to the massive early-type population.

We present stellar population parameters of 12 elliptical and S0 galaxies in the Coma cluster around and including the cD galaxy NGC 4874, based on spectra obtained using the Low Resolution Imaging Spectrograph on the Keck II Telescope. Our data are among the most precise and accurate absorption-line strengths yet obtained for cluster galaxies, allowing us to examine in detail the zero-point and scatter in the stellar population properties of Coma cluster early-type galaxies (ETGs). Recent observations of red sequence galaxies in the high-redshift Universe and generic hierarchical galaxy formation models lead to the following expectations for the stellar populations of local ETGs. (1) In all environments, bigger ETGs should have older stellar populations than smaller ETGs ('downsizing'); (2) ETGs at fixed stellar mass form stars earlier and thus should have older stellar population ages in the highest density environments than those in lower density environments and (3) the most massive ETGs in the densest environments should have a small spread in stellar population ages. We find the following surprising results using our sample. (1) Our ETGs have single-stellar-population-equivalent (SSP-equivalent) ages of on average 5-8 Gyr with the models used here, with the oldest galaxies having SSP-equivalent ages of less than or similar to 10-Gyr old. This average age is identical to the mean age of field ETGs. (2) The ETGs in our sample span a large range in velocity dispersion (mass) but are consistent with being drawn from a population with a single age. Specifically, 10 of the 12 ETGs in our sample are consistent within their formal errors of having the same SSP-equivalent age, 5.2 +/- 0.2 Gyr, over a factor of more than 750 in mass. We therefore find no evidence for downsizing of the stellar populations of ETGs in the core of the Coma cluster. We confirm the lack of a trend of SSP-equivalent age with mass in the core of the Coma cluster from all other samples of Coma cluster ETG absorption-line strengths available in the literature, but we do find from the largest samples that the dispersion in age increases with decreasing mass. These conclusions stand in stark contrast to the expectations from observations of high-redshift red sequence galaxies and model predictions. We suggest that Coma cluster ETGs may have formed the majority of their mass at high redshifts but suffered small but detectable star formation events at z approximate to 0.1-0.3. In this case, previous detections of 'downsizing' from stellar populations of local ETGs may not reflect the same downsizing seen in look-back studies of RSGs, as the young ages of the local ETGs represent only a small fraction of their total masses.

We report the discovery of two concentric Einstein rings around the gravitational lens SDSS J0946+ 1006. The main lens is at redshift z(l) = 0.222, while the inner ring ( 1) is at redshift z(s1) 0.609 (R-Ein1 = 1.43 '' +/- 0.01 ''). The wider image separation ( R-Ein2 = 2.07 '' +/- 0.02 '') of the outer ring (2) implies a higher redshift than that of ring 1; the detection of ring 2 in the F814WACS filter implies an upper limit of z(s2) less than or similar to 6.9. The main lens can be described by a power- law total mass density profile rho(tot) proportional to r(-gamma ') with gamma ' = 2.00 +/- 0.03 and velocity dispersion sigma(SIE) = 287 +/- 5 km s(-1) ( the stellar velocity dispersion is sigma(v,*) = 284 +/- 24 km s(-1)). The strong lensing configuration is inconsistent with light traces mass. Adopting a prior on the stellar mass- to- light ratio from previous SLACS work, we infer a 73% +/- 9% dark matter fraction within the cylinder of radius equal to the effective radius of the lens. We find that, for the case of SDSS J0946+ 1006, the geometry of the two rings does not place interesting constraints on cosmography because of the suboptimal redshifts of lens and sources. We then consider the perturbing effect of the mass associated with ring 1 building a compound lens model. This introduces minor changes to the mass of the main lens and provides an estimate of z(s2) = 3.1(-1.0)(+2.0) and of the mass of the source responsible for ring 1 (sigma(SIE,s1) = 94(-47)(+27) km s(-1)). We conclude by examining the prospects of doing cosmography with a sample of 50 double rings, expected from future space- based surveys. Accounting for uncertainties in the mass profile of the lens and the effects of the perturber, we find that such a sample would constrain Omega(m) and within 10%, assuming flatness.

We investigate the manner in which lenticular galaxies are formed by studying their stellar kinematics: an S0 formed from a fading spiral galaxy should display similar cold outer disc kinematics to its progenitor, while an S0 formed in a minor merger should be more dominated by random motions. In a pilot study, an attempt to distinguish between these scenarios, we have measured the planetary nebula (PN) kinematics of the nearby S0 system NGC 1023. Using the Planetary Nebula Spectrograph, we have detected and measured the line-of-sight velocities of 204 candidate planetary nebulae (PNe) in the field of this galaxy. Out to intermediate radii, the system displays the kinematics of a normal rotationally supported disc system. After correction of its rotational velocities for asymmetric drift, the galaxy lies just below the spiral galaxy Tully-Fisher relation, as one would expect for a fading system. However, at larger radii the kinematics undergo a gradual but major transition to random motion with little rotation. This transition does not seem to reflect a change in the viewing geometry or the presence of a distinct halo component, since the number counts of PNe follow the same simple exponential decline as the stellar continuum with the same projected disc ellipticity out to large radii. The galaxy's small companion, NGC 1023A, does not seem to be large enough to have caused the observed modification either. This combination of properties would seem to indicate a complex evolutionary history in either the transition to form an S0 or in the past life of the spiral galaxy from which the S0 formed. More data sets of this type from both spirals and S0s are needed in order to definitively determine the relationship between these types of system.

We present HI observations of the elliptical galaxy NGC 2974, obtained with the Very Large Array. These observations reveal that the previously detected HI disc in this galaxy is in fact a ring. By studying the harmonic expansion of the velocity field along the ring, we constrain the elongation of the halo and find that the underlying gravitational potential is consistent with an axisymmetric shape. We construct mass models of NGC 2974 by combining the HI rotation curve with the central kinematics of the ionized gas, obtained with the integral-field spectrograph SAURON. We introduce a new way of correcting the observed velocities of the ionized gas for asymmetric drift, and hereby disentangle the random motions of the gas caused by gravitational interaction from those caused by turbulence. To reproduce the observed flat rotation curve of the HI gas, we need to include a dark halo in our mass models. A pseudo-isothermal sphere provides the best model to fit our data, but we also tested an NFW halo and modified Newtonian dynamics, which fit the data marginally worse. The mass-to-light ratio M/L-1 increases in NGC 2974 from 4.3M(circle dot)/L-circle dot,(I) at one effective radius to 8.5M(circle dot)/L-circle dot,(I) at 5 Re. This increase of M/L already suggests the presence of dark matter: we find that within 5 Re at least 55 per cent of the total mass is dark.

We present a weak-lensing analysis of 22 early-type (strong) lens galaxies, based on deep HST images obtained as part of the Sloan Lens ACS Survey. Using advanced techniques to control systematic uncertainties, we show that weak-lensing signal is detected out to similar to 300 h(-1) kpc (at the mean lens redshift z = 0.2). We analyze blank control fields from COSMOS in the same manner, inferring that the residual systematic uncertainty in the tangential shear is less than 0.3%. A joint strong- and weak-lensing analysis shows that the average total mass density profile is consistent with isothermal (i.e., rho proportional to r(-2)) over two decades in radius (3-300 h(-1) kpc, approximately 1-100 effective radii). This finding extends by over an order of magnitude in radius previous results, based on strong lensing and/or stellar dynamics, that luminous and dark components "conspire" to form an isothermal mass distribution. In order to disentangle the contributions of luminous and dark matter, we fit a two-component mass model (deVaucouleurs+NFW) to the weak- and strong-lensing constraints. It provides a good fit to the datawith only two free parameters: (1) the average stellar mass-to-light ratio M-*/L-V =4.48 +/- 0.46 h M-circle dot L-circle dot(-1) (at z = 0.2), in agreement with that expected for an old stellar population; (2) the average virialmass-to-light ratio M-vir/L-V = 246(-87)(+101) h M-circle dot L-circle dot(-1) Taking into account the scatter in the mass-luminosity relation, the latter result is in good agreement with semianalytical models of massive galaxy formation. The dark matter fraction inside the sphere of radius, the effective radius, is found to be 27% +/- 4%. Our results are consistent with galaxy-galaxy lensing studies of early-type galaxies that are not strong lenses, in the 30- 300 h(-1) kpc radius range. Thus, within the uncertainties, our results are representative of early- type galaxies in general.

Gravitational lensing and stellar dynamics are two independent methods, based solely on gravity, to study the mass distributions of galaxies. Both methods suffer from degeneracies, however, that are difficult to break. In this paper we present a new framework that self-consistently unifies gravitational lensing and stellar dynamics, breaking some classical degeneracies that have limited their individual usage, particularly in the study of high-redshift galaxies. For any given galaxy potential, the mapping of both the unknown lensed source brightness distribution and the stellar phase-space distribution function onto the photometric and kinematic observables can be cast as a single set of coupled linear equations, which are solved by maximizing the likelihood penalty function. The Bayesian evidence penalty function subsequently allows one to find the best potential-model parameters and to quantitatively rank potential-model families or other model assumptions ( e. g., PSF). We have implemented a fast algorithm that solves for the maximum-likelihood pixelized lensed source brightness distribution and the two-integral stellar phase- space distribution function f ( E; L(z)), assuming axisymmetric potentials. To make the method practical, we have devised a new Monte Carlo approach to Schwarzschild's orbital superposition method, based on the superposition of twointegral ( E and Lz) toroidal components, to find the maximum-likelihood two-integral distribution function in a matter of seconds in any axisymmetric potential. The nonlinear parameters of the potential are subsequently found through a hybrid MCMC and Simplex optimization of the evidence. Illustrated by the power-law potential models of Evans, we show that the inclusion of stellar kinematic constraints allows the correct linear and nonlinear model parameters to be recovered, including the potential strength, oblateness, and inclination, which, in the case of gravitational-lensing constraints only, would otherwise be fully degenerate.

We combine strong-lensing masses with SDSS stellar velocity dispersions and HST ACS effective (half-light) radii for 36 lens galaxies from the Sloan Lens ACS (SLACS) Survey to study the mass dependence of mass-dynamical structure in early-type galaxies. We find that over a 180-390 km s(-1) range in velocity dispersion, structure is independent of lensing mass to within 5%. This result suggests a systematic variation in the total (i.e., luminous plus dark matter) mass-to-light ratio as the origin of the "tilt" of the fundamental plane ( FP) scaling relationship between galaxy size, velocity dispersion, and surface brightness. We construct the FP of the lens sample, which we find to be consistent with the FP of the parent SDSS early-type galaxy population. We also present the first observational correlation between the mass-to-light ratio and residuals about the FP. Finally, we reformulate the FP in terms of surface mass density rather than surface brightness. By removing the complexities of stellar-population effects, this mass-plane formulation will facilitate comparison to numerical simulations and possible use as a cosmological distance indicator.

We combine strong-lensing masses with SDSS stellar velocity dispersions and HST ACS effective (half-light) radii for 36 lens galaxies from the Sloan Lens ACS (SLACS) Survey to study the mass dependence of mass-dynamical structure in early-type galaxies. We find that over a 180-390 km s(-1) range in velocity dispersion, structure is independent of lensing mass to within 5%. This result suggests a systematic variation in the total (i.e., luminous plus dark matter) mass-to-light ratio as the origin of the "tilt" of the fundamental plane ( FP) scaling relationship between galaxy size, velocity dispersion, and surface brightness. We construct the FP of the lens sample, which we find to be consistent with the FP of the parent SDSS early-type galaxy population. We also present the first observational correlation between the mass-to-light ratio and residuals about the FP. Finally, we reformulate the FP in terms of surface mass density rather than surface brightness. By removing the complexities of stellar-population effects, this mass-plane formulation will facilitate comparison to numerical simulations and possible use as a cosmological distance indicator.

We analyse the orbital distribution of elliptical (E) and lenticular (S0) galaxies using SAURON integral-field stellar kinematics within about one effective (half-light) radius. We construct the anisotropy diagram, which relates the ratio of the ordered and random motion in a galaxy (V/sigma) to its observed ellipticity (epsilon), for the 48 E/S0 galaxies from the SAURON survey. For a subsample of 24 galaxies consistent with axisymmetry, we use three-integral axisymmetric Schwarzschild dynamical models to recover the detailed orbital distribution, and we find good agreement with the anisotropy derived from the (V/sigma, epsilon) diagram. In a companion paper (Paper IX), we show that the early-type galaxies can be subdivided into two classes of systems with or without a significant amount of specific stellar angular momentum. Here, we show that the two classes have different distributions on the (V/sigma, epsilon) diagram. The slow rotators are more common among the most massive systems and are generally classified as E from photometry alone. Those in our sample tend to be fairly round(epsilon less than or similar to 0.3), but can have significant kinematical misalignments, indicating that as a class they are moderately triaxial, and span a range of anisotropies (delta less than or similar to 0.3). The fast rotators are generally fainter and are classified as either E or S0. They can appear quite flattened (epsilon less than or similar to 0.7), do not show significant kinematical misalignments (unless barred or interacting), indicating they are nearly axisymmetric and span an even larger range of anisotropies (delta less than or similar to 0.5). These results are confirmed when we extend our analysis to 18 additional E/S0 galaxies observed with SAURON. The dynamical models indicate that the anisotropy inferred from the (V/sigma, epsilon) diagram is due to a flattening of the velocity ellipsoid in the meridional plane (sigma(R) > sigma(z)), which we quantify with the beta anisotropy parameter. We find a trend of increasing beta for intrinsically flatter galaxies. A number of the fast rotators show evidence for containing a flattened, kinematically distinct component, which in some cases counter-rotates relative to the main galaxy body. These components are generally more metal rich than the galaxy body. All these results support the idea that fast rotators are nearly oblate and contain disc-like components. The role of gas must have been important for their formation. The slow rotators are weakly triaxial. Current collisionless merger models seem unable to explain their detailed observed properties.

We present results from Planetary Nebula Spectrograph (PN. S) observations of the elliptical galaxy NGC 3379 and a description of the data reduction pipeline. We detected 214 planetary nebulae, of which 191 are ascribed to NGC 3379 and 23 to the companion galaxy NGC 3384. Comparison with data from the literature shows that the PN. S velocities have an internal error of

We obtained optical imaging polarimetry with the ACS/HRC aboard the HST of the 9 closest radio-galaxies in the 3C catalogue with an FR I morphology. The nuclear sources seen in direct HST images in these galaxies are found to be highly polarized with levels in the range ~2-11 % with a median value of 7 %. We discuss the different mechanisms that produce polarized emission and conclude that the only viable interpretation is a synchrotron origin for the optical nuclei. This idea is strengthened by the analogy with the polarization properties of BL Lac objects, providing also further support to the FRI/BL Lac unified model. This confirms previous suggestions that the dominant emission mechanism in low luminosity radio-loud AGN is related to non-thermal radiation produced by the base of their jets. In addition to the nuclear polarization (and to the large scale optical jets), polarization is detected co-spatially with the dusty circumnuclear disks, likely due to dichroic transmission; the polarization vectors are tangential to the disks as expected when the magnetic field responsible for the grains alignment is stretched by differential rotation. We explored the possibility to detect the polarimetric signature of a misaligned radiation beam in FR I, expected in our sources in the frame of the FR I/ BL Lac unification. We did not find this effect in any of the galaxies, but our the results are not conclusive on whether a misaligned beam is indeed present in FR I., 16 page, 10 figures, accepted for publication in A&A

AIM:Learn more about the origin of shells and dust in early type galaxies. METHOD: V-I colours of shells and underlying galaxies are derived, using HST Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) data. A galaxy model is made locally in wedges and subtracted to determine shell profiles and colours. We applied Voronoi binning to our data to get smoothed colour maps of the galaxies. Comparison with N-body simulations from the literature gives more insight to the origin of the shell features. Shell positions and dust characteristics are inferred from model galaxy subtracted images. RESULT: The ACS images reveal shells well within the effective radius in some galaxies (at 1.7 kpc in the case of NGC 5982). In some cases, strong nuclear dust patches prevent detection of inner shells. Most shells have colours which are similar to the underlying galaxy. Some inner shells are redder than the galaxy. All six shell galaxies show out of dynamical equilibrium dust features, like lanes or patches, in their central regions. Our detection rate for dust in the shell ellipticals is greater than that found from HST archive data for a sample of normal early-type galaxies, at the 95% confidence level. CONCLUSIONS: The merger model describes better the shell distributions and morphologies than the interaction model. Red shell colours are most likely due to the presence of dust and/or older stellar populations. The high prevalence and out of dynamical equilibrium morphologies of the central dust features point towards external influences being responsible for visible dust features in early type shell galaxies. Inner shells are able to manifest themselves in relatively old shell systems., Comment: accepted by A&A; 36 Figures, 25 pages. A version with full resolution Figures can be found here: http://www.astro.rug.nl/~sikkema/shells.ps

We present rotation curves for 19, mostly luminous, early-type disk galaxies. Rotation velocities are measured from a combination of HI velocity fields and long-slit optical emission line spectra along the major axis. We find that the rotation curves generally rise rapidly in the central regions and often reach rotation velocities of 200 - 300 km/s within a few hundred parsecs of the centre. The detailed shape of the central rotation curves shows a clear dependence on the concentration of the stellar light distribution and the bulge-to-disk luminosity ratio: galaxies with highly concentrated stellar light distributions reach the maximum in their rotation curves at relatively smaller radii than galaxies with small bulges and a relatively diffuse light distribution. We interpret this as a strong indication that the dynamics in the central regions are dominated by the stellar mass. At intermediate radii, many rotation curves decline. The strength of the decline is correlated with the total luminosity of the galaxies, more luminous galaxies having on average more strongly declining rotation curves. At large radii, however, all declining rotation curves flatten out, indicating that substantial amounts of dark matter must be present in these galaxies too. A comparison of our rotation curves with the Universal Rotation Curve from Persic et al. (1996) reveals large discrepancies between the observed and predicted rotation curves; we argue that rotation curves form a multi-parameter family which is too complex to describe with a simple formula depending on total luminosity only. (abridged), 27 pages, 9 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRAS. A pdf-version with full resolution figures and the full atlas can be found at http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/~ppzen/rotcurs.accepted.pdf

We present a 2D kinematic analysis for a sample of simulated binary disc merger remnants with mass ratios 1:1 and 3:1. For the progenitor discs we used pure stellar models as well as models with 10 per cent of their mass in gas. A multitude of phenomena also observed in real galaxies are found in the simulations. These include misaligned rotation, embedded discs, gas rings, counter-rotating cores (CRCs) and kinematic misaligned discs. Using the 2D maps we illustrate projection effects and the change in properties of a merger remnant when gas is included in the merger. We find that kinematic peculiar subsystems are preferably formed in equal-mass mergers. Equal-mass collisionless remnants can show almost no rotation, regular rotation or strong kinematic misalignment. The inclusion of gas makes the remnants appear more round (1:1) and axisymmetric (3:1). CRCs are almost exclusively formed in equal-mass mergers with a dissipational component. 3:1 remnants show a much more regular structure. We quantify these properties by applying the kinemetric methods recently developed by Krajnovic et al. This work will help to understand observations of elliptical galaxies with integral field spectrographs, like SAURON.

We discuss the morphology and kinematics of the HI of a sample of 30 southern gas-rich early-type galaxies selected from the HI Parkes All-Sky Survey (HIPASS). This is the largest collection of high-resolution HI data of a homogeneously selected sample. Given the sensitivity of HIPASS, these galaxies represent the most HI-rich early-type galaxies. In two-thirds of the galaxies, we find the HI to be in a large, regular disk- or ring-like structure that in some cases is strongly warped. In the remaining cases we find the HI distributed in irregular tails or clouds offset from the galaxy. The giant, regular HI structures can be up to ~200 kpc in diameter and contain up to 10^10 M_sun of HI. The incidence of irregular HI structures appears to be somewhat higher in elliptical galaxies, but the large, regular structures are observed in both elliptical and S0 galaxies and are not strictly connected to the presence of a stellar disk. If these two types of galaxies are the result of different formation paths, this is not strongly reflected in the characteristics of the HI. The size and the regular kinematics of the HI structures imply that the neutral hydrogen must have settled in these galaxies several Gyr ago. Merging as well as gas accretion from the IGM are viable explanations for the origin of the gas in these galaxies. The average column density of the HI is low so that little star formation is expected to occur and these early-type galaxies can remain gas rich for very long periods of time. The large HI structures likely represent key structures for tracing the origin and evolution of these galaxies., Accepted for publication in A&A, 13 pages, 6 figures. A version with full resolution figures is available at http://www.astron.nl/~morganti/Papers/hipass.pdf

We present a study of the stellar populations and morphologies of galaxies in the core of the galaxy cluster Abell 2218. Integral field spectroscopy (IFS) observations were performed using PMAS in the PPAK mode covering a field of view of similar to 74 x 64 arcsec(2) centred on the core of the cluster, in order to obtain spectroscopy of an unbiased flux-limited sample of cluster galaxies. 43 objects were detected in the IFS data, 31 of them with enough signal-to-noise ratio to derive the redshift, all of them brighter than I The morphologically segregated colour-magnitude diagram shows that the early-type galaxies cover the range of brighter and redder colours (the so-called 'red sequence'). A large fraction of spiral galaxies (similar to 50 per cent) is found, most of them fainter than the limit of previous studies. They cover a wide range in colours, from blue colours typical of Butcher-Oemler galaxies to red colours similar to those of early-type galaxies. This result indicates that early-type galaxies are more massive and have older stellar populations, while late-type galaxies are less massive and have a wider range of stellar populations. The distribution of luminosity-weighted ages as a function of metallicities and luminosity-weighted masses, and the distribution of Sersic indices as a function of the luminosity-weighted masses confirm these results. They in fact agree with a proposed two-step scenario for the evolution of galaxies in clusters, where the star formation is quenched first in the infalling spirals, after which a morphological transformation follows that requires larger time-scales. This scenario naturally explains the population faint late-type galaxies with old stellar populations observed in this cluster. In addition, an extremely blue merging galaxy system is found at the core, with the nominal redshift of the cluster.

SUMMARIZED ABSTRACT: We present a study of the stellar populations and morphologies of galaxies in the core of the galaxy cluster Abell 2218. Integral field spectroscopy was obtained using PMAS/PPAK@3.5m CAHA to obtain a complete flux limited sample of cluster members within its field-of-view (~74"X64"). In addition of 31 galaxies with known redshifts in the outer regions, we built up a final sample of 59 spectroscopically confirmed cluster members. Multiban photometry and detailed morphologies were obtained using deep images taken with the HST/ACS camera in the BVRI and z-bands. The CM diagram shows that the E-type galaxies cover the range of brighter and redder colors. A large fraction of spiral galaxies ($\sim$50%) is found. They cover a wide range in colors. This result, together with the distributions of ages, metallicities and masses, indicates that E-type galaxies are more massive and have older stellar populations, while L-type galaxies are less massive and have a wider range of stellar Our results agree with a proposed two-step scenario for the evolution of galaxies in clusters. In addition, an extremely blue merging galaxy system is found at the core, with the nominal redshift of the cluster., Comment: 29 pages, 17 figures, accepted for publishing in MNRAS. (HST/ACS composite image: http://www.caha.es/sanchez/abell2218/BRI_big.jpg)

We present high spatial resolution integral-field spectroscopy of 28 elliptical (E) and lenticular (SO) galaxies from the SAURON representative survey obtained with the OASIS spectrograph during its operation at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. These seeing-limited observations explore the central 8 x 10 arcsec(2) (typically 1 kpc diameter) regions of these galaxies using a spatial sampling four times higher than SAURON (0.27-arcsec versus 0.94-arcsec spatial elements), resulting in almost a factor of 2 improvement in the median point spread function. These data allow accurate study of the central regions to complement the large-scale view provided by SAURON. Here we present the stellar and gas kinematics, stellar absorption-line strengths and nebular emission-line strengths for this sample. We also characterize the stellar velocity maps using the 'kinemetry' technique, and derive maps of the luminosity-weighted stellar age, metallicity and abundance ratio via stellar population models. We give a brief review of the structures found in our maps, linking also to larger-scale structures measured with SAURON. We present two previously unreported kinematically decoupled components (KDCs) in the centres of NGC 3032 and NGC 4382. We compare the intrinsic size and luminosity-weighted stellar age of all the visible KDCs in the full SAURON sample, and find two types of components: kiloparsec-scale KDCs, which are older than 8 Gyr, and are found in galaxies with little net rotation; and compact KDCs, which have intrinsic diameters of less than a few hundred parsec, show a range of stellar ages from 0.5 to 15 Gyr (with 5/6 younger than 5 Gyr), are found exclusively in fast-rotating galaxies, and are close to counter-rotating around the same axis as their host. Of the seven galaxies in the SAURON sample with integrated luminosity-weighted ages less than 5 Gyr, five show such compact KDCs, suggesting a link between counter-rotation and recent star formation. We show that this may be due to a combination of small sample size at young ages, and an observational bias, since young KDCs are easier to detect than their older and/or corotating counterparts.

We present high spatial resolution integral-field spectroscopy of 28 elliptical (E) and lenticular (S0) galaxies from the SAURON representative survey obtained with the OASIS spectrograph during its operation at the CFHT. These seeing-limited observations explore the central 8"x10" (typically one kiloparsec diameter) regions of these galaxies using a spatial sampling four times higher than SAURON (0.27" vs. 0.94" spatial elements), resulting in almost a factor of two improvement in the median PSF. These data allow accurate study of the central regions to complement the large-scale view provided by SAURON. Here we present the stellar and gas kinematics, stellar absorption-line strengths and nebular emission-line strengths for this sample. We also characterise the stellar velocity maps using the "kinemetry" technique, and derive maps of the luminosity-weighted stellar age, metallicity and abundance ratio via stellar population models. We give a brief review of the structures found in our maps, linking also to larger-scale structures measured with SAURON. We present two previously unreported kinematically-decoupled components (KDCs) in the centres of NGC3032 and NGC4382. We compare the intrinsic size and luminosity-weighted stellar age of all the visible KDCs in the full SAURON sample, and find two types of components: kiloparsec-scale KDCs, which are older than 8 Gyr, and are found in galaxies with little net rotation; and compact KDCs, which have intrinsic diameters of less than a few hundred parsec, show a range of stellar ages from 0.5 - 15 Gyr (with 5/6 younger than 5 Gyr), are found exclusively in fast-rotating galaxies, and are close to counter-rotating around the same axis as their host. (abridged), Comment: 58 pages, 43 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRAS. A version with full resolution figures is available at http://www.strw.leidenuniv.nl/sauron/

We present a joint gravitational lensing and stellar-dynamical analysis of 15 massive field early-type galaxies selected from the Sloan Lens ACS (SLACS) Survey. The following numerical results are found: (1) A joint likelihood gives an average logarithmic density slope for the total mass density of = 2.01(-0.03)(+0.02) (68% CL; rho(tot) proportional to r(-gamma')) = 4.2 +/- 0.4 kpc (rms of 1.6 kpc) for isotropic models. The inferred intrinsic rms spread in logarithmic density slopes is sigma(gamma') = 0.12. (2) The average position-angle difference between the light distribution and the total mass distribution is found to be = 0 degrees +/- 3 degrees (rms of 10 degrees), setting an upper limit of less than or similar to 0.035 on the average external shear. The total mass has an average ellipticity = 0.78 +/- 0.03 (rms of 0.12), which correlates extremely well with the stellar ellipticity, q(*), resulting in = 0.99 +/- 0.03 (rms of 0.11) for sigma greater than or similar to 225 km s(-1) omitting three S0 lens galaxies. (3) The average projected dark matter mass fraction is inferred to be = 0.25 +/- 0.06 (rms of 0.22) inside , using the stellar mass-to-light ratios derived from the fundamental plane as priors. (4) Combined with results from the Lenses Structure and Dynamics (LSD) Survey at z greater than or similar to 0.3, we find no significant evolution of the total density slope inside one effective radius for galaxies with sigma(ap) >= 200 km s(-1): a linear fit gives alpha(gamma') equivalent to d / dz = 0.23 +/- 0.16 (1 sigma) for the range z = 0.08-1.01. The small scatter and absence of significant evolution in the inner density slopes suggest a collisional scenario in which gas and dark matter strongly couple during galaxy formation, leading to a total mass distribution that rapidly converges to dynamical isothermality.

We present the results of deep Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope observations of neutral hydrogen in 12 nearby elliptical and lenticular galaxies. The selected objects come from a representative sample of nearby galaxies earlier studied at optical wavelengths with the integral-field spectrograph SAURON (Spectrographic Areal Unit for Research on Optical Nebulae). They are field galaxies, or (in two cases) located in poor group environments. We detect H I - both in regular discs as well as in clouds and tails offset from the host galaxy - in 70 per cent of the galaxies. This detection rate is much higher than in previous, shallower single-dish surveys, and is similar to that for the ionized gas. The results suggest that at faint detection levels the presence of H I is a relatively common characteristic of field early-type galaxies, confirming what was suggested twenty years ago by Jura based on IRAS observations. The observed total H I masses range between a few times 10(6) to just over 10(9) M(circle dot) . The presence of regular disc-like structures is a situation as common as H I in offset clouds and tails around early-type galaxies. All galaxies where H I is detected also contain ionized gas, whereas no H I is found around galaxies without ionized gas. Galaxies with regular H I discs tend to have strong emission from ionized gas. In these cases, the similar kinematics of the neutral hydrogen and ionized gas suggest that they form one structure. The kinematical axis of the stellar component is nearly always misaligned with respect to that of the gas. We do not find a clear trend between the presence of H I and the global age of the stellar population or the global dynamical characteristics of the galaxies. More specifically, H I detections are uniformly spread through the (V/sigma, epsilon) diagram. If fast and slow rotators - galaxies with high and low specific angular momentum - represent the relics of different formation paths, this does not appear in the presence and characteristics of the H I. Our observations support the idea that gas accretion is common and does not happen exclusively in peculiar early-type galaxies. The links observed between the large-scale gas and the characteristics on the nuclear scale (e.g. the presence of kinematically decoupled cores, radio continuum emission etc.) suggest that for the majority of the cases the gas is acquired through merging, but the lack of correlation with the stellar population age suggests that smooth, cold accretion could be an alternative scenario, at least in some galaxies. In either case, the data suggest that early-type galaxies continue to build their mass up to the present.

We present absorption line strength maps of 48 representative elliptical and lenticular galaxies obtained as part of a survey of nearby galaxies using our custom-built integral-field spectrograph, SAURON, operating on the William Herschel Telescope. Using high-quality spectra, spatially binned to a constant signal-to-noise ratio, we measure four key age, metallicity and abundance ratio sensitive indices from the Lick/IDS system over a two-dimensional field extending up to approximately one effective radius. A discussion of calibrations and offsets is given, along with a description of error estimation and nebular emission correction. We modify the classical Fe5270 index to define a new index, Fe5270S, which maximizes the useable spatial coverage of SAURON. Maps of H beta, Fe5015, Mgb and Fe5270S are presented for each galaxy. We use the maps to compute average line strengths integrated over circular apertures of one-eighth effective radius, and compare the resulting relations of index versus velocity dispersion with previous long-slit work. The metal line strength maps show generally negative gradients with increasing radius roughly consistent with the morphology of the light profiles. Remarkable deviations from this general trend exist, particularly the Mgb isoindex contours appear to be flatter than the isophotes of the surface brightness for about 40 per cent of our galaxies without significant dust features. Generally, these galaxies exhibit significant rotation. We infer from this that the fast-rotating component features a higher metallicity and/or an increased Mg/Fe ratio as compared to the galaxy as a whole. The H beta maps are typically flat or show a mild positive outwards radial gradient, while a few galaxies show strong central peaks and/or elevated overall H beta strength likely connected to recent star formation activity. For the most prominent post-starburst galaxies, even the metal line strength maps show a reversed gradient.

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.

We use HST images to derive effective radii and effective surface brightnesses of 15 early-type (E+S0) lens galaxies identified by the SLACS Survey. Our measurements are combined with stellar velocity dispersions from the SDSS database to investigate for the first time the distribution of lens galaxies in the fundamental plane (FP) space. Accounting for selection effects (top priority to the largest Einstein radii and thus approximately to the largest velocity dispersions, σ>~240 km s-1) and for passive evolution, the distribution of the lens galaxies inside the FP is indistinguishable from that of the parent sample of SDSS galaxies. We conclude that SLACS lenses are a fair sample of high velocity dispersion E+S0s. By comparing the central stellar velocity dispersion (σ) with the velocity dispersion that best fits the lensing models (σSIE) we find ≡=1.01+/-0.02 with 0.065 rms scatter. We infer that within the Einstein radii (typically Re/2) the SLACS lenses are very well approximated by isothermal ellipsoids, requiring a fine tuning of the stellar and dark matter distribution (the bulge-halo ``conspiracy''). Interpreting the offset from the local FP in terms of evolution of the stellar mass-to-light ratio, we find dlog(M/LB)/dz=-0.69+/-0.08 (rms 0.11) consistent with the rate found for field E+S0s and with most of the stars being old (zf>2) and less than ~10% of the stellar mass having formed below z=1. We discuss our results in the context of formation mechanisms such as collisionless (``dry'') mergers. Based on observations made with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtained at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA), Inc., under NASA contract NAS5-26555. These observations are associated with program 10174. Support for program 10174 was provided by NASA through a grant from STScI, which is operated by the AURA, Inc., under NASA contract NAS5-26555.

We investigate with unprecedented accuracy the correlations between the dynamical mass-to-light ratio M/L and other global observables of E and S0 galaxies. We construct two-integral Jeans and three-integral Schwarzschild dynamical models for a sample of 25 E/S0 galaxies with SAURON integral-field stellar kinematics. We find a tight correlation of the form (M/L)=(3.80+/-0.14)*(sigma/200 km/s)^(0.84+/-0.07) between the dynamical M/L (in the I-band) and the luminosity-weighted second moment (sigma) of the line-of-sight velocity-distribution within Re. The observed rms scatter in M/L for our sample is 18%, while the inferred intrinsic scatter is ~13%. The (M/L)-sigma relation can be included in the remarkable series of tight correlations between sigma and other galaxy global observables. The comparison of the observed correlations with the predictions of the Fundamental Plane (FP), and with simple virial estimates, shows that the `tilt' of the FP of early-type galaxies, is due to a real M/L variation, while structural and orbital non-homology have a negligible effect. The virial mass is a reliable estimator of the mass in the central regions of galaxies. The best-fitting virial relation has the form (M/L)_vir=(5.0+/-0.1)*Re*sigma^2/(L*G). The comparison of the dynamical M/L with the (M/L)_pop inferred from the analysis of the stellar population, indicates a median dark matter fraction in early-type galaxies of ~30% of the total mass inside one Re. (Abridged), Comment: 25 pages, 19 figures, LaTeX. MNRAS in press

We present the emission-line fluxes and kinematics of 48 representative elliptical and lenticular galaxies obtained with our custom-built integral-field spectrograph SAURON. Hb, [OIII], and [NI] emission lines were measured using a new procedure that simultaneously fits both the stellar spectrum and the emission lines. Using this technique we can detect emission lines down to an equivalent width of 0.1A set by the current limitations in describing galaxy spectra with synthetic and real stellar templates, rather than by the quality of our spectra. Emission is detected in 75% of our sample galaxies, and comes in a variety of resolved spatial distributions and kinematic behaviours. The ionised-gas kinematics is rarely consistent with simple coplanar circular motions. However, the gas almost never displays completely irregular kinematics, generally showing coherent motions with smooth variations in angular momentum. In the majority of the cases the gas kinematics is decoupled from the stellar kinematics, and in half of the objects this decoupling implies a recent acquisition of gaseous material. Over the entire sample however, the distribution of the mean misalignment values between stellar and gaseous angular momenta is inconsistent with a purely external origin. Consistent with previous studies, the presence of dust features is always accompanied by gas emission while the converse is not always true. A considerable range of values for the [OIII]/Hb ratio is found both across the sample and within single galaxies. Despite the limitations of this ratio as an emission-line diagnostic, this finding suggests either that a variety of mechanisms is responsible for the gas excitation in E and S0 galaxies or that the metallicity of the interstellar material is quite heterogeneous., 51 pages, 40 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRAS. A version with full resolution figures is available at http://star-www.herts.ac.uk/~sarzi/Publications/Sarzi_05_SauronV.ps.gz

We investigate the well-known correlations between the dynamical mass-to-light ratio (M/L) and other global observables of elliptical ( E) and lenticular (S0) galaxies. We construct two-integral Jeans and three-integral Schwarzschild dynamical models for a sample of 25 E/S0 galaxies with SAURON integral-field stellar kinematics to about one effective ( half-light) radius Re. They have well-calibrated I-band Hubble Space Telescope WFPC2 and large-field ground-based photometry, accurate surface brightness fluctuation distances, and their observed kinematics is consistent with an axisymmetric intrinsic shape. All these factors result in an unprecedented accuracy in the M/L measurements. We find a tight correlation of the form (M/L) = (3.80 +/- 0.14) x (sigma(e)/200 km s(-1))(0.84 +/- 0.07) between the M/L ( in the I band) measured from the dynamical models and the luminosity-weighted second moment sigma(e) of the LOSVD within R(e). The observed rms scatter in M/L for our sample is 18 per cent, while the inferred intrinsic scatter is similar to 13 per cent. The (M/L)-sigma(e) relation can be included in the remarkable series of tight correlations between sigma(e) and other galaxy global observables. The comparison of the observed correlations with the predictions of the Fundamental Plane ( FP), and with simple virial estimates, shows that the `tilt' of the FP of early-type galaxies, describing the deviation of the FP from the virial relation, is almost exclusively due to a real M/L variation, while structural and orbital non-homology have a negligible effect. When the photometric parameters are determined in the `classic' way, using growth curves, and the sigma(e) is measured in a large aperture, the virial mass appears to be a reliable estimator of the mass in the central regions of galaxies, and can be safely used where more `expensive' models are not feasible ( e. g. in high-redshift studies). In this case the best-fitting virial relation has the form (M/L)(vir) = ( 5.0 +/- 0.1) x R(e)sigma(2)(e)/(LG), in reasonable agreement with simple theoretical predictions. We find no difference between the M/L of the galaxies in clusters and in the field. The comparison of the dynamical M/L with the (M/L)(pop) inferred from the analysis of the stellar population, indicates a median dark matter fraction in early-type galaxies of similar to 30 per cent of the total mass inside one R(e), in broad agreement with previous studies, and it also shows that the stellar initial mass function varies little among different galaxies. Our results suggest a variation in M/L at constant (M/L)(pop), which seems to be linked to the galaxy dynamics. We speculate that fast-rotating galaxies have lower dark matter fractions than the slow-rotating and generally more-massive ones. If correct, this would suggest a connection between the galaxy assembly history and the dark matter halo structure. The tightness of our correlation provides some evidence against cuspy nuclear dark matter profiles in galaxies.

The Sloan Lens ACS (SLACS) Survey is an efficient Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Snapshot imaging survey for new galaxy-scale strong gravitational lenses. The targeted lens candidates are selected spectroscopically from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) database of galaxy spectra for having multiple nebular emission lines at a redshift significantly higher than that of the SDSS target galaxy. The SLACS survey is optimized to detect bright early-type lens galaxies with faint lensed sources in order to increase the sample of known gravitational lenses suitable for detailed lensing, photometric, and dynamical modeling. In this paper, the first in a series on the current results of our HST Cycle 13 imaging survey, we present a catalog of 19 newly discovered gravitational lenses, along with nine other observed candidate systems that are either possible lenses, nonlenses, or nondetections. The survey efficiency is thus >= 68%. We also present Gemini 8 m and Magellan 6.5 m integral-field spectroscopic data for nine of the SLACS targets, which further support the lensing interpretation. A new method for the effective subtraction of foreground galaxy images to reveal faint background features is presented. We show that the SLACS lens galaxies have colors and ellipticities typical of the spectroscopic parent sample from which they are drawn (SDSS luminous red galaxies and quiescent MAIN sample galaxies), but are somewhat brighter and more centrally concentrated. Several explanations for the latter bias are suggested. The SLACS survey provides the first statistically significant and homogeneously selected sample of bright early-type lens galaxies, furnishing a powerful probe of the structure of early-type galaxies within the half-light radius. The high confirmation rate of lenses in the SLACS survey suggests consideration of spectroscopic lens discovery as an explicit science goal of future spectroscopic galaxy surveys.

We have determined spectroscopic ages of elliptical galaxies in the Virgo Cluster using spectra of very high signal-to-noise ratio (S/N > 100 angstrom(-1)). We observed eight galaxies with the Subaru Telescope and have combined this sample with six galaxies previously observed with the WHT. To determine their ages, we have used a new method based on the H gamma(sigma) age indicator, which is virtually independent of the effects of metallicity. Apart from ages we have estimated abundances of various elements. In this paper we present the observations, the data reduction, and the reliability of the H gamma(sigma) method. The results of this investigation are presented in a companion paper.

We present results of our ongoing study of the morphology and kinematics of the ionised gas in 48 representative nearby elliptical and lenticular galaxies using the SAURON integral-field spectrograph on the 4.2m William Herschel Telescope. Making use of a recently developed technique, emission is detected in 75% of the galaxies. The ionised-gas distributions display varied morphologies, ranging from regular gas disks to filamentary structures. Additionally, the emission-line kinematic maps show, in general, regular motions with smooth variations in kinematic position angle. In most of the galaxies, the ionised-gas kinematics is decoupled from the stellar counterpart, but only some of them present signatures of recent accretion of gaseous material. The presence of dust is very common in our sample and is usually accompanied by gas emission. Our analysis of the [OIII]/Hbeta emission-line ratios, both across the whole sample as well as within the individual galaxies, suggests that there is no unique mechanism triggering the ionisation of the gas., Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures, submitted to "Adaptive Optics-Assisted Integral-Field Spectroscopy", Rutten R.G.M., Benn C.R., Mendez J., eds., May 2005, La Palma (Spain), New Astr. Rev. For full resolution PS, see http://www.strw.leidenuniv.nl/~jfalcon/JFB_AOmeeting_color_hires.ps.gz

We investigate the effect of a small contamination of hot, old, metal-poor starlight on the inferred stellar populations of early-type galaxies in the core of the Coma Cluster. We find that the required correction to the Balmer and metal absorption-line strengths for old, metal-poor stars does not significantly affect the inferred age of the stellar population when the Hbeta strength is large. Intermediate-aged populations are therefore still needed to explain enhanced Balmer-line strengths in early-type galaxies. This gives us increased confidence in our age estimates for these objects. For galaxies with weak Balmer-line strengths corresponding to very old populations (t>10 Gyr), however, a correction for hot stars may indeed alter the inferred age, as previously suggested. Finally, the inferred metallicity [Z/H] will always be higher after any correction for old, metal-poor starlight than without, but the enhancement ratios [E/Fe] will strengthen only slightly., 8 pages, 3 figures (2 in color); accepted for publication in MNRAS

We present Gemini integral-field unit spectroscopy and Hubble Space Telescope (HST) F435W- and F814W-band images of a newly discovered four-image gravitational lens, SDSS J140228.22 + 632133.3 ( hereafter SDSSJ1402). The system is the first of 49 spectroscopically selected gravitational lens candidates to be imaged with the Advanced Camera for Surveys Wide-Field Channel on board HST as part of a Snapshot Survey program designed to expand the sample of known gravitational lenses amenable to detailed photometric, lensing, and dynamical studies. The lens is an r = 17.00 +/- 0.05 elliptical galaxy at a redshift of z(l) = 0.2046 +/- 0.0001, with a luminosity-weighted stellar velocity dispersion of 267 +/- 17 km s(-1) within a 3 ''-diameter aperture. Multiple emission lines place the faint lensed source galaxy at a redshift of z(s) = 0.4814 +/- 0.0001. The best-fitting singular isothermal ellipsoid lens model has an Einstein radius b = 1.'' 35 +/- 0.'' 025 (or 4.9 +/- 0.2 h(65)(-1) kpc), corresponding to an enclosed mass of (30.9 +/- 1.1) x 10(10) h(65)(-1) M-., and a rest-frame B-band mass-to-light ratio of 8.1 +/- 0.5 h(65) times solar within the same region. By calculating an expected stellar mass-to-light ratio for SDSSJ1402 using a local universe value of 7.3 +/- 2.1 h(65) and the measured evolution of the fundamental plane, we estimate the fraction of luminous matter within the Einstein radius to be 0.64 +/- 0.22: stellar mass is dominant, but some dark matter appears to be required even at this small scale of roughly one-half effective radius.

We present Gemini integral-field unit spectroscopy and Hubble Space Telescope (HST) F435W- and F814W-band images of a newly discovered four-image gravitational lens, SDSS J140228.22 + 632133.3 ( hereafter SDSSJ1402). The system is the first of 49 spectroscopically selected gravitational lens candidates to be imaged with the Advanced Camera for Surveys Wide-Field Channel on board HST as part of a Snapshot Survey program designed to expand the sample of known gravitational lenses amenable to detailed photometric, lensing, and dynamical studies. The lens is an r = 17.00 +/- 0.05 elliptical galaxy at a redshift of z(l) = 0.2046 +/- 0.0001, with a luminosity-weighted stellar velocity dispersion of 267 +/- 17 km s(-1) within a 3 ''-diameter aperture. Multiple emission lines place the faint lensed source galaxy at a redshift of z(s) = 0.4814 +/- 0.0001. The best-fitting singular isothermal ellipsoid lens model has an Einstein radius b = 1.'' 35 +/- 0.'' 025 (or 4.9 +/- 0.2 h(65)(-1) kpc), corresponding to an enclosed mass of (30.9 +/- 1.1) x 10(10) h(65)(-1) M-., and a rest-frame B-band mass-to-light ratio of 8.1 +/- 0.5 h(65) times solar within the same region. By calculating an expected stellar mass-to-light ratio for SDSSJ1402 using a local universe value of 7.3 +/- 2.1 h(65) and the measured evolution of the fundamental plane, we estimate the fraction of luminous matter within the Einstein radius to be 0.64 +/- 0.22: stellar mass is dominant, but some dark matter appears to be required even at this small scale of roughly one-half effective radius.

[EN]We analyse N-body galaxy merger experiments involving disc galaxies. Mergers of disc–bulge–halo models are compared to those of bulgeless, disc–halo models to quantify the effects of the central bulge on merger dynamics and the structure of the remnant. Our models explore galaxy mass ratios 1:1 through 3:1, and use higher bulge mass fractions than previous studies. A full comparison of the structural and dynamical properties with our observations is carried out. The presence of central bulges results in longer tidal tails, oblate final intrinsic shapes, surface brightness profiles with a higher Sérsic index, steeper rotation curves and oblate-rotator internal dynamics. Mergers of bulgeless galaxies do not generate long-lasting tidal tails, and their strong triaxiality seems inconsistent with observations; these remnants show shells, which we do not find in models including central bulges. Giant ellipticals with boxy isophotes and anisotropic dynamics cannot be produced by the mergers modelled here; they could be the result of mergers between lower luminosity ellipticals, themselves plausibly formed in disc-disc mergers.

[EN]We have carried out computer simulations to study the effect of merging on the Fundamental Plane (FP) relation. Initially, systems are spherical Jaffe models following a simple scaling relation (M/R2e= constant). They have been put on the FP by imposing different M/L values. Various orbital characteristics have been considered. Our results show that the merger remnants lie very close to the FP of the progenitors. Although non-homology is introduced by the merging process, mergers among homologous galaxies leave a pre-existing FP-relation intact. As a side result we find that variations in the point of view lead to non-negligible scatter about the FP.

This paper investigates the detailed dynamical properties of a relatively homogeneous sample of disc-dominated SO galaxies, with a view to understanding their formation, evolution and structure. By using high signal-to-noise ratio long-slit spectra of edge-on systems, we have been able to reconstruct the complete line-of-sight velocity distributions of stars along the major axes of the galaxies. From these data, we have derived both model distribution functions (the phase density of their stars) and the approximate form of their gravitational potentials. The derived distribution functions are all consistent with these galaxies being simple disc systems, with no evidence for a complex formation history. Essentially no correlation is found between the characteristic mass scalelengths and the photometric scalelengths in these galaxies, suggesting that they are dark-matter dominated even in their inner parts. Similarly, no correlation is found between the mass scalelengths and asymptotic rotation speed, implying a wide range of dark matter halo properties. By comparing their asymptotic rotation speeds with their absolute magnitudes, we find that these S0 galaxies are systematically offset from the Tully-Fisher relation for later-type galaxies. The offset in luminosity is what one would expect if star formation had been suddenly switched off a few Gyr ago, consistent with a simple picture in which these S0s were created from ordinary later-type spirals which were stripped of their star-forming interstellar medium when they encountered a dense cluster environment.

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 examine the dynamics of the stars and globular clusters in the nearby giant elliptical galaxy M87 and constrain the mass distribution, using all the available data over a large range of radii, including higher order moments of the stellar line-of-sight velocity distributions and the discrete velocities of over 200 globular clusters. We introduce an extension of spherical orbit modeling methods that makes full use of all the information in the data and provides very robust constraints on the mass models. We conclusively rule out a constant mass-to-light ratio model and infer that the radial density profile of the galaxy's dark halo falls off more slowly than r(-2), suggesting that the potential of the Virgo Cluster is already dominant at r similar to 300" similar to 20 kpc.

Most elliptical galaxies contain central black holes, whose masses scale proportionally to the observed central velocity dispersions of the host galaxies according to the so-called M-BH-sigma (c) relation. Here we discuss some consequences that can be derived by combining the M-BH-sigma (c) relation with the scaling relation describing the fundamental plane of elliptical galaxies. In particular, the possibility of substantial dissipationless merging in the formation and evolution of elliptical galaxies is discussed. We enforce the merger end products to satisfy the two scaling relations mentioned above, and a major role of dissipation in galaxy formation is strongly suggested by our analysis. Moreover, we show that existing observational data may shed some light on the complex process of black hole merging.

Most elliptical galaxies contain central black holes, whose masses scale proportionally to the observed central velocity dispersions of the host galaxies according to the so-called M-BH-sigma (c) relation. Here we discuss some consequences that can be derived by combining the M-BH-sigma (c) relation with the scaling relation describing the fundamental plane of elliptical galaxies. In particular, the possibility of substantial dissipationless merging in the formation and evolution of elliptical galaxies is discussed. We enforce the merger end products to satisfy the two scaling relations mentioned above, and a major role of dissipation in galaxy formation is strongly suggested by our analysis. Moreover, we show that existing observational data may shed some light on the complex process of black hole merging.

We present the results of a wide-field survey for extremely red objects (EROs hereafter), the widest so far, based on Ks and R band imaging. The survey covers 701 arcmin(2) and it is 85% complete to Ks less than or equal to 18.8 over the whole area and to Ks less than or equal to 19.2 over 447.5 arcmin(2). Thanks to the wide field covered, a complete sample of about 400 EROs with R - Ks greater than or equal to 5 was selected. The distribution of the EROs on the sky is strongly inhomogeneous, being characterized by overdensities and large voids. We detect at the 8 sigma level a strong clustering signal of the EROs which is about an order of magnitude larger than the clustering of K-selected field galaxies in the same magnitude range. A smooth trend of increasing clustering amplitude with the R - Ks color is observed. These results are strong evidence that the largest fraction of EROs is composed of high-z ellipticals, of which we detect for the first time the z greater than or similar to 1 large scale structure clustering signal. We show how the surface density variations of the ERO population found in our survey can explain the highly discrepant results obtained so far on the density of z > 1 ellipticals, and we briefly discuss the main implications of our results for the evolution of elliptical galaxies. The number counts and the colors of the K-selected field galaxies are also presented and briefly discussed.

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

Photometry has been obtained for magnitude-limited samples of galaxies in the rich clusters Abell 665 (37 galaxies) and Abell 2218 (61 galaxies), Both clusters have a redshift of 0.18. The limiting magnitude of the samples is 19 mag in the I band. Spectroscopy has been obtained for seven galaxies in A665 and nine galaxies in A2218, all of which also have available photometry, Spectroscopy has been obtained for two additional galaxies in A2218, one of which is a background galaxy, Effective radii r(e) and mean surface brightnesses [I](e) are derived from the photometry, The typical uncertainties are +/-0.078 in log r(e) and +/-0.12 in log[I](e). The combination log r(e) + 0.82 log[I](e) that enters the Fundamental Plane (FP) has an uncertainty of only +/-0.018. The spectroscopy was used for measurements of the velocity dispersions, sigma. The typical uncertainty is +/-0.023 in log sigma. The data are used to establish the FP, log r(e) = alpha log sigma + beta log[I](e) + gamma, for the clusters. The FP for these two clusters adds important knowledge about the properties of E and SO galaxies in the relatively unexplored redshift interval 0.05 to 0.3. We have compared the FP for A665 and A2218 with the FP for the clusters CL0024 + 16, CL1358 + 62 and MS2053 - 04 with redshifts between 0.33 and 0.58, and with the FP for the Coma cluster. The scatter around the FP is similar for all six clusters. We find that the FP for the intermediate-redshift clusters has a smaller coefficient a than found for the Coma cluster and other nearby clusters. This may be caused either by selection effects for the intermediate-redshift clusters or by differences in the evolution of low-luminosity galaxies and high-luminosity galaxies. The mass-to-light (M/L) ratios, as measured from the FP, change with redshift, At z = 0.18 the M/L ratio for photometry in Gunn r in the rest frame of the clusters is 11 +/- 7 per cent smaller than for the Coma cluster, Using the data for A665 and A2218, together with the previously published data for CL0024 + 16, CL1358 + 62 and MS2053 - 04, we find that the M/L ratios for photometry calibrated to Gunn r change with redshift as Delta logM/L-r = (-0.26 +/- 0.06)Delta z for q(0) = 0.5. This change in the M/L ratio is equivalent to the absolute magnitudes changing as Delta M-rT = (-0.65 +/- 0.15)Delta z. These new results are consistent with the previously published analysis for CL0024 + 16, CL1358 + 62 and MS2053-04. For q(0) = 0.5 the results are consistent with passive evolution of a stellar population which formed at a redshift larger than 5. For q(0) = 0.15 the formation redshift must be larger than 1.7. Our new data for A665 and A2218 confirm the gradual and slow evolution of the bright E and SO galaxies. However, possible star formation in E and SO galaxies during the last 3-4 Gyr of the history of the Universe, as well as selection effects, complicates the interpretation of the data.

We present a morphological study of the galaxy population of the luminous X-ray cluster MS 1054-03 at z = 0.83. The sample consists of 81 spectroscopically confirmed cluster members in a 3 x 2 h(50)(-1) Mpc area imaged in F606W and F814W with WFPC2. We find 13 ongoing mergers in MS 1054-03, comprising 17% of the L greater than or similar to L-* cluster population. Most of these mergers will likely evolve into luminous (similar to 2L(*)) elliptical galaxies, and some may evolve into SO galaxies. Assuming the galaxy population in MS 1054-03 is typical for its redshift, it is estimated that similar to 50% of present-day cluster elliptical galaxies experienced a major merger at z