Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/37189

Download PDF (Published version) (Adobe Acrobat PDF, -1 bytes)

Title

Stellar population gradients in early-type galaxies

Author(s)

Sanchez-Blazquez, Patricia;  Forbes, Duncan A.;  Strader, Jay;  Ocvirk, Pierre;  Brodie, Jean P.;  Proctor, Robert N.

Abstract

Long-slit spectra have been obtained with the Keck telescope for a sample of 11 early-type galaxies covering a range in luminosity. Rotation velocity and velocity dispersions, together with 20 Lick line-strength gradients have been measured to two effective radius. We transform line-strength gradients into age, metallicity and α/Fe. Galaxies show very shallow age gradients, strong metallicity gradients, and both positive and negative α/Fe gradients, which cannot be explained with simple outside-in scenarios of galaxy formation. We explore the correlation of the gradients with other global parameters of the galaxies, finding different behaviour for the two families of galaxies, luminous (boxy, core inner profile) and less luminous (disky, cuspy inner profile) galaxies.

Publication type

Conference paper

Research centre

Swinburne University of Technology. Faculty of Information and Communication Technologies. Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing

Source

Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union Symposium S241: Stellar Populations as Building Blocks of Galaxies, La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain, 10-14 December 2006 / Alexandre Vazdekis and Reynier Peletier (eds.), Vol. 2, pp. 391-394

Publication year

2007

Keyword(s)

cD;  Elliptical galaxies;  Galaxy formation;  Lenticular galaxies;  Stellar content

Publisher

Cambridge University Press

ISBN

0521333801

Publisher URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1743921307008563

Copyright

Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2007. Published version of the paper reproduced here in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher.

Full text

Peer reviewed