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Velocity dispersions of low luminosity ellipticals - L approximately equal to sigma-cubed
- Source :
- Astrophysical Journal.
- Publication Year :
- 1981
- Publisher :
- United States: NASA Center for Aerospace Information (CASI), 1981.
-
Abstract
- A complete sample of elliptical galaxies in the core of the Virgo cluster is used to derive a relation between stellar velocity dispersion and luminosity. L is found to approximately equal sigma to the nth power, where n = 3.2 + or - 0.2 over two decades of luminosity, with a scatter of 0.38 mag. The possibility of curvature in the relation or rotational support of the galaxies is examined, and a derivation of a law of slope 3 is presented and compared with the derivation for a slope of 4. It is concluded that the lack of increased scatter as the points deviate from a slope of 4 implies that rotation is not important.
- Subjects :
- Astrophysics
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- Database :
- NASA Technical Reports
- Journal :
- Astrophysical Journal
- Notes :
- NSF PHY-79-19884, , NAS8-32902, , NSF AST-80-08996
- Publication Type :
- Report
- Accession number :
- edsnas.19820035883
- Document Type :
- Report
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1086/183681