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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Evidence For Two Phases Of Galaxy Formation From Radial Trends In The Globular Cluster System Of Ngc 1407, D. A. Forbes, L. R. Spitler, J. Strader, Aaron J. Romanowsky, J. P. Brodie, C. Foster
Evidence For Two Phases Of Galaxy Formation From Radial Trends In The Globular Cluster System Of Ngc 1407, D. A. Forbes, L. R. Spitler, J. Strader, Aaron J. Romanowsky, J. P. Brodie, C. Foster
Faculty Publications
Here we present the colours of individual globular clusters (GCs) around the massive elliptical galaxy NGC 1407 out to a projected galactocentric radius of 140 kpc or 17 galaxy effective radii (Re). Such data are a proxy for the halo metallicity. We find steep, and similar, metallicity gradients of ∼−0.4 dex dex−1 for both the blue (metal poor) and red (metal rich) GC subpopulations within 5–8.5 Re (40–70 kpc). At larger radii the mean GC colours (metallicity) are constant. A similar behaviour is seen in a wide-field study of M87's GC system, and in our own Galaxy. We interpret these …
An Extremely Luminous Panchromatic Outburst From The Nucleus Of A Distant Galaxy, A. J. Levan, N. R. Tanvir, S. B. Cenko, D. A. Perley, K. Wiersema, J. S. Bloom, A. S. Fruchter, A. De Urgarte Postigo, P. T. Butler, A. J. Van Der Horst, G. Leloudas, A. N. Morgan, K. Misra, G. C. Bower, J. Farihi, R. L. Tunnicliffe, A. N. Morgan, K. Misra, G. C. Bower, J. Farihi, R. L. Tunnicliffe, M. Modjaz, J. M. Silverman, J. Hjorth, C. Thone, A. Cucchiara, J. M. Castro-Ceron, A. J. Castro-Tirado, J. A. Arnold, M. Bremer, J. P. Brodie, T. Carroll, M. C. Cooper, P. A. Curran, R. M. Cutri, J. Ehle, D. Forbes, J. Fynbo, J. Gorosabel, J. Graham, D. I. Hoffman, S. Guziy, P. Jakobsson, A. Kamble, T. Kerr, M. M. Kasliwal, C. Kouveliotou, D. Kocevski, N. M. Law, P. E. Nugent, E. O. Ofek, D. Poznanski, R. M. Quimby, E. Rol, Aaron J. Romanowsky, R. Sanchez-Ramirez, S. Schulze, N. Singh, L. Van Spaandonk, R.L.C. Starling, R. G. Strom, J. C. Tello, O. Vaduvescu, P. J. Wheatley, J. M. Winters, R.A.M.J. Wijers, D. Xu
An Extremely Luminous Panchromatic Outburst From The Nucleus Of A Distant Galaxy, A. J. Levan, N. R. Tanvir, S. B. Cenko, D. A. Perley, K. Wiersema, J. S. Bloom, A. S. Fruchter, A. De Urgarte Postigo, P. T. Butler, A. J. Van Der Horst, G. Leloudas, A. N. Morgan, K. Misra, G. C. Bower, J. Farihi, R. L. Tunnicliffe, A. N. Morgan, K. Misra, G. C. Bower, J. Farihi, R. L. Tunnicliffe, M. Modjaz, J. M. Silverman, J. Hjorth, C. Thone, A. Cucchiara, J. M. Castro-Ceron, A. J. Castro-Tirado, J. A. Arnold, M. Bremer, J. P. Brodie, T. Carroll, M. C. Cooper, P. A. Curran, R. M. Cutri, J. Ehle, D. Forbes, J. Fynbo, J. Gorosabel, J. Graham, D. I. Hoffman, S. Guziy, P. Jakobsson, A. Kamble, T. Kerr, M. M. Kasliwal, C. Kouveliotou, D. Kocevski, N. M. Law, P. E. Nugent, E. O. Ofek, D. Poznanski, R. M. Quimby, E. Rol, Aaron J. Romanowsky, R. Sanchez-Ramirez, S. Schulze, N. Singh, L. Van Spaandonk, R.L.C. Starling, R. G. Strom, J. C. Tello, O. Vaduvescu, P. J. Wheatley, J. M. Winters, R.A.M.J. Wijers, D. Xu
Faculty Publications
Variable x-ray and γ-ray emission is characteristic of the most extreme physical processes in the universe. We present multiwavelength observations of a unique γ-ray–selected transient detected by the Swift satellite, accompanied by bright emission across the electromagnetic spectrum, and whose properties are unlike any previously observed source. We pinpoint the event to the center of a small, star-forming galaxy at redshift z = 0.3534. Its high-energy emission has lasted much longer than any γ-ray burst, whereas its peak luminosity was ∼100 times higher than bright active galactic nuclei. The association of the outburst with the center of its host galaxy …
The Fossil Record Of Two-Phase Galaxy Assembly: Kinematics And Metallicities In The Nearest S0 Galaxy, J, A, Arnold, Aaron J. Romanowsky, J. P. Brodie, L. Chomiuk, L. R. Spitler, J. Strader, A. J. Benson, D. A. Forbes
The Fossil Record Of Two-Phase Galaxy Assembly: Kinematics And Metallicities In The Nearest S0 Galaxy, J, A, Arnold, Aaron J. Romanowsky, J. P. Brodie, L. Chomiuk, L. R. Spitler, J. Strader, A. J. Benson, D. A. Forbes
Faculty Publications
We present a global analysis of kinematics and metallicity in the nearest S0 galaxy, NGC 3115, along with implications for its assembly history. The data include high-quality wide-field imaging from Suprime-Cam on the Subaru telescope, and multi-slit spectra of the field stars and globular clusters (GCs) obtained using Keck-DEIMOS/LRIS and Magellan-IMACS. Within two effective radii, the bulge (as traced by the stars and metal-rich GCs) is flattened and rotates rapidly (v/σ gsim 1.5). At larger radii, the rotation declines dramatically to v/σ ~ 0.7, but remains well aligned with the inner regions. The radial decrease in characteristic metallicity of both …
Global Properties Of ‘Ordinary’ Early-Type Galaxies: Photometry And Spectroscopy Of Stars And Globular Clusters In Ngc 4494, C. Foster, L. R. Spitler, Aaron J. Romanowsky, D. A. Forbes, V. Pota, K. Bekki, J. Strader, R. N. Proctor, J. A. Arnold, J. P. Brodie
Global Properties Of ‘Ordinary’ Early-Type Galaxies: Photometry And Spectroscopy Of Stars And Globular Clusters In Ngc 4494, C. Foster, L. R. Spitler, Aaron J. Romanowsky, D. A. Forbes, V. Pota, K. Bekki, J. Strader, R. N. Proctor, J. A. Arnold, J. P. Brodie
Faculty Publications
We present a comprehensive analysis of the spatial, kinematic and chemical properties of stars and globular clusters (GCs) in the ‘ordinary’ elliptical galaxy NGC 4494 using data from the Keck and Subaru telescopes. We derive galaxy surface brightness and colour profiles out to large galactocentric radii. We compare the latter to metallicities derived using the near-infrared Calcium Triplet. We obtain stellar kinematics out to ∼3.5 effective radii. The latter appear flattened or elongated beyond ∼1.8 effective radii in contrast to the relatively round photometric isophotes. In fact, NGC 4494 may be a flattened galaxy, possibly even an S0, seen at …
Star Clusters In M31: Old Clusters With Bar Kinematics, H. Morrison, N. Caldwell, R. P. Schiavon, E. Athanassoula, Aaron J. Romanowsky, P. Harding
Star Clusters In M31: Old Clusters With Bar Kinematics, H. Morrison, N. Caldwell, R. P. Schiavon, E. Athanassoula, Aaron J. Romanowsky, P. Harding
Faculty Publications
We analyze our accurate kinematical data for the old clusters in the inner regions of M31. These velocities are based on high signal-to-noise Hectospec data. The data are well suited for analysis of M31's inner regions because we took particular care to correct for contamination by unresolved field stars from the disk and bulge in the fibers. The metal-poor clusters show kinematics that are compatible with a pressure-supported spheroid. The kinematics of metal-rich clusters, however, argue for a disk population. In particular the innermost region (inside 2 kpc) shows the kinematics of the x 2 family of bar periodic orbits, …
The Dark Halo Of He Hydra I Galaxy Cluster: Core, Cusp, Cosmological? Dynamics Of Ngc 3311 And Its Globular Cluster System, T. Richtler, R. Salinas, I. Misgeld, M. Hilker, G.K. T. Hau, Aaron J. Romanowsky, Y. Schuberth, M. Spolaor
The Dark Halo Of He Hydra I Galaxy Cluster: Core, Cusp, Cosmological? Dynamics Of Ngc 3311 And Its Globular Cluster System, T. Richtler, R. Salinas, I. Misgeld, M. Hilker, G.K. T. Hau, Aaron J. Romanowsky, Y. Schuberth, M. Spolaor
Faculty Publications
Context. Some galaxy clusters exhibit shallow or even cored dark matter density profiles in their central regions rather than the predicted steep or cuspy profiles, conflicting with the standard understanding of dark matter. NGC 3311 is the central cD galaxy of the Hydra I cluster (Abell 1060). Aims. We use globular clusters around NGC 3311, combined with kinematical data of the galaxy itself, to investigate the dark matter distribution in the central region of Hydra I. Methods. Radial velocities of 118 bright globular clusters, based on VLT/VIMOS mask spectroscopy, are used to calculate velocity dispersions which are well defined out …
Crazy Heart: Kinematics Of The “Star Pile” In Abell 545, R. Salinas, T. Richtler, M. J. West, Aaron J. Romanowsky, E. Llyod-Davies, Y. Schuberth
Crazy Heart: Kinematics Of The “Star Pile” In Abell 545, R. Salinas, T. Richtler, M. J. West, Aaron J. Romanowsky, E. Llyod-Davies, Y. Schuberth
Faculty Publications
We study the structure and internal kinematics of the “star pile” in Abell 545 – a low surface brightness structure lying in the center of the cluster. We have obtained deep long-slit spectroscopy of the star pile using VLT/FORS2 and Gemini/GMOS, which is analyzed in conjunction with deep multiband CFHT/MEGACAM imaging. As presented in a previous study the star pile has a flat luminosity profile and its color is consistent with the outer parts of elliptical galaxies. Its velocity map is irregular, with parts being seemingly associated with an embedded nucleus, and others which have significant velocity offsets to the …
Galaxies In Cdm With Halo Abundance Matching: Luminosity-Velocity Relation, Baryonic Mass-Velocity Relation, Velocity Function, And Clustering, S. Trujillo-Gomez, A. Klypin, J. Primack, Aaron J. Romanowsky
Galaxies In Cdm With Halo Abundance Matching: Luminosity-Velocity Relation, Baryonic Mass-Velocity Relation, Velocity Function, And Clustering, S. Trujillo-Gomez, A. Klypin, J. Primack, Aaron J. Romanowsky
Faculty Publications
It has long been regarded as difficult if not impossible for a cosmological model to account simultaneously for the galaxy luminosity, mass, and velocity distributions. We revisit this issue using a modern compilation of observational data along with the best available large-scale cosmological simulation of dark matter (DM). We find that the standard cosmological model, used in conjunction with halo abundance matching (HAM) and simple dynamical corrections, fits—at least on average—all basic statistics of galaxies with circular velocities V circ > 80 km s–1 calculated at a radius of ~10 kpc. Our primary observational constraint is the luminosity-velocity (LV) relation—which generalizes …
The Relationships Among Compact Stellar Systems: A Fresh View Of Ultra Compact Dwarfs, J. P. Brodie, Aaron J. Romanowsky, J. Strader, D. A. Forbes
The Relationships Among Compact Stellar Systems: A Fresh View Of Ultra Compact Dwarfs, J. P. Brodie, Aaron J. Romanowsky, J. Strader, D. A. Forbes
Faculty Publications
We use a combined imaging and spectroscopic survey of the nearby central cluster galaxy, M87, to assemble a sample of 34 confirmed ultracompact dwarfs (UCDs) with half-light radii of gsim10 pc measured from Hubble Space Telescope images. This doubles the existing sample in M87, making it the largest such sample for any galaxy, while extending the detection of UCDs to unprecedentedly low luminosities (MV = –9). With this expanded sample, we find no correlation between size and luminosity, in contrast to previous suggestions, and no general correlation between size and galactocentric distance. We explore the relationships between UCDs, less luminous …
The Globular Cluster System Of Ngc 1399. V. Dynamics Of The Cluster System Out To 80 Kpc, Y. Schuberth, T. Richtler, M. Hilker, B. Dirsch, L. Bassino, Aaron J. Romanowsky, L. Infante
The Globular Cluster System Of Ngc 1399. V. Dynamics Of The Cluster System Out To 80 Kpc, Y. Schuberth, T. Richtler, M. Hilker, B. Dirsch, L. Bassino, Aaron J. Romanowsky, L. Infante
Faculty Publications
Globular clusters (GCs) are tracers of the gravitational potential of their host galaxies. Moreover, their kinematic properties may provide clues for understanding the formation of GC systems and their host galaxies. We use the largest set of GC velocities obtained so far of any elliptical galaxy to revise and extend the previous investigations (Richtler et al. 2004) of the dynamics of NGC 1399, the central dominant galaxy of the nearby Fornax cluster of galaxies. The GC velocities are used to study the kinematics, their relation with population properties, and the dark matter halo of NGC 1399. We have obtained 477 …
Central Dark Matter Content Of Early-Type Galaxies: Scaling Relations And Connections With Star Formation Histories, N. R. Napolitano, Aaron J. Romanowsky, A. J. Tortora
Central Dark Matter Content Of Early-Type Galaxies: Scaling Relations And Connections With Star Formation Histories, N. R. Napolitano, Aaron J. Romanowsky, A. J. Tortora
Faculty Publications
We examine correlations between masses, sizes and star formation histories for a large sample of low-redshift early-type galaxies, using a simple suite of dynamical and stellar population models. We confirm an anticorrelation between the size and stellar age and go on to survey for trends with the central content of dark matter (DM). An average relation between the central DM density and galaxy size of 〈ρDM〉∝R−2eff provides the first clear indication of cuspy DM haloes in these galaxies – akin to standard Λ cold dark matter haloes that have undergone adiabatic contraction. The DM density scales with galaxy mass as …
Mapping The Dark Side With Deimos: Globular Clusters, X-Ray Gas, And Dark Matter In The Ngc 1407 Group, Aaron J. Romanowsky, J. Strader, L. Spitler, R. Johnson, J. P. Brodie, D. A. Forbes, T. Ponman
Mapping The Dark Side With Deimos: Globular Clusters, X-Ray Gas, And Dark Matter In The Ngc 1407 Group, Aaron J. Romanowsky, J. Strader, L. Spitler, R. Johnson, J. P. Brodie, D. A. Forbes, T. Ponman
Faculty Publications
NGC 1407 is the central elliptical in a nearby evolved group of galaxies apparently destined to become a galaxy cluster core. We use the kinematics of globular clusters (GCs) to probe the dynamics and mass profile of the group's center, out to a radius of 60 kpc (~10 galaxy effective radii)—the most extended data set to date around an early-type galaxy. This sample consists of 172 GC line-of-sight velocities, most of them newly obtained using Keck/DEIMOS, with a few additional objects identified as dwarf-globular transition objects or as intragroup GCs. We find weak rotation for the outer parts of the …
Dearth Of Dark Matter Or Massive Dark Halo? Mass-Shape-Anisotropy Degeneracies Revealed By Nmagic Dynamical Models Of The Elliptical Galaxy Ngc 3379, F. De Lorenzi, O. Gerhard, L. Coccato, M. Arnaboldi, M. Capaccioli, K. C. Freeman, K. Kuijken, M. R. Merrifield, N. R. Napolitano, E. Noordermeer, Aaron J. Romanowsky, V. P. Debattista
Dearth Of Dark Matter Or Massive Dark Halo? Mass-Shape-Anisotropy Degeneracies Revealed By Nmagic Dynamical Models Of The Elliptical Galaxy Ngc 3379, F. De Lorenzi, O. Gerhard, L. Coccato, M. Arnaboldi, M. Capaccioli, K. C. Freeman, K. Kuijken, M. R. Merrifield, N. R. Napolitano, E. Noordermeer, Aaron J. Romanowsky, V. P. Debattista
Faculty Publications
Recent results from the Planetary Nebula Spectrograph (PNS) survey have revealed a rapidly falling velocity dispersion profile in the nearby elliptical galaxy NGC 3379, casting doubts on whether this intermediate-luminosity galaxy has the kind of dark matter (DM) halo expected in Λ cold dark matter (ΛCDM) cosmology. We present a detailed dynamical study of this galaxy, combining ground based long-slit spectroscopy, integral-field data from the Spectrographic Areal Unit for Research on Optical Nebulae (SAURON) instrument and PNS data reaching to more than seven effective radii. We construct dynamical models with the flexible χ2-made-to-measure (χ2M2M) particle method implemented in the NMAGIC …
The Planetary Nebula Spectrograph Elliptical Galaxy Survey: The Dark Matter In Ngc 4494, N. R. Napolitano, Aaron J. Romanowsky, L. Coccato, M. Capaccioli, N. G. Douglas, E. Noordermeer, O. Gerhard, M. Arnaboldi, F. De Lorenzi, K. Kuijken, M. R. Merrifield, E. O'Sullivan, A. Cortesi, P. Das, K. C. Freeman
The Planetary Nebula Spectrograph Elliptical Galaxy Survey: The Dark Matter In Ngc 4494, N. R. Napolitano, Aaron J. Romanowsky, L. Coccato, M. Capaccioli, N. G. Douglas, E. Noordermeer, O. Gerhard, M. Arnaboldi, F. De Lorenzi, K. Kuijken, M. R. Merrifield, E. O'Sullivan, A. Cortesi, P. Das, K. C. Freeman
Faculty Publications
We present new Planetary Nebula Spectrograph observations of the ordinary elliptical galaxy NGC 4494, resulting in positions and velocities of 255 planetary nebulae out to seven effective radii (25 kpc). We also present new wide-field surface photometry from MMT/Megacam, and long-slit stellar kinematics from VLT/FORS2. The spatial and kinematical distributions of the planetary nebulae agree with the field stars in the region of overlap. The mean rotation is relatively low, with a possible kinematic axis twist outside 1Re. The velocity dispersion profile declines with radius, though not very steeply, down to ∼70 km s−1 at the last data point. We …
Probing The 2d Kinematic Structure Of Early-Type Galaxies Out To 3 Effective Radii, R. N. Proctor, D. A. Forbes, J. P. Brodie, Aaron J. Romanowsky, J. Strader, M. Spolaor, J. T. Mendel, L. Spitler
Probing The 2d Kinematic Structure Of Early-Type Galaxies Out To 3 Effective Radii, R. N. Proctor, D. A. Forbes, J. P. Brodie, Aaron J. Romanowsky, J. Strader, M. Spolaor, J. T. Mendel, L. Spitler
Faculty Publications
We detail an innovative new technique for measuring the two-dimensional (2D) velocity moments (rotation velocity, velocity dispersion and Gauss–Hermite coefficients h3 and h4) of the stellar populations of galaxy haloes using spectra from Keck DEIMOS (Deep Imaging Multi-Object Spectrograph) multi-object spectroscopic observations. The data are used to reconstruct 2D rotation velocity maps. Here we present data for five nearby early-type galaxies to ∼three effective radii. We provide significant insights into the global kinematic structure of these galaxies, and challenge the accepted morphological classification in several cases. We show that between one and three effective radii the velocity dispersion declines very …
Central Mass-To-Light Ratios And Dark Matter Fractions In Early-Type Galaxies, C. Tortora, N. R. Napolitano, Aaron J. Romanowsky, M. Capaccioli, G. Covone
Central Mass-To-Light Ratios And Dark Matter Fractions In Early-Type Galaxies, C. Tortora, N. R. Napolitano, Aaron J. Romanowsky, M. Capaccioli, G. Covone
Faculty Publications
Dynamical studies of local elliptical galaxies and the Fundamental Plane point to a strong dependence of the total mass-to-light ratio (M/L) on luminosity with a relation of the form M/L∝Lγ. The ‘tilt’γ may be caused by various factors, including stellar population properties (metallicity, age and star formation history), initial mass function, rotational support, luminosity profile non-homology and dark matter (DM) fraction. We evaluate the impact of all these factors using a large uniform data set of local early-type galaxies from Prugniel & Simien. We take particular care in estimating the stellar masses, using a general star formation history, and comparing …
Kinematic Properties Of Early-Type Galaxy Haloes Using Planetary Nebulae, L. Coccato, O. Gerhard, M. Arnaboldi, P. Das, N. G. Douglas, K. Kuijken, M. R. Merrifield, N. R. Napolitano, Aaron J. Romanowsky, E. Noordermeer, M. Capaccioli, A. Cortesi, F. De Lorenzi, K. C. Freeman
Kinematic Properties Of Early-Type Galaxy Haloes Using Planetary Nebulae, L. Coccato, O. Gerhard, M. Arnaboldi, P. Das, N. G. Douglas, K. Kuijken, M. R. Merrifield, N. R. Napolitano, Aaron J. Romanowsky, E. Noordermeer, M. Capaccioli, A. Cortesi, F. De Lorenzi, K. C. Freeman
Faculty Publications
We present new planetary nebulae (PNe) positions, radial velocities and magnitudes for six early-type galaxies obtained with the Planetary Nebulae Spectrograph (PNS), along with derived two-dimensional velocity and velocity dispersion fields, and the α parameters (i.e. the number of PNe per unit luminosity). We also present new deep absorption-line long-slit kinematics for three galaxies in the sample, obtained with the FOcal Reducer and low dispersion Spectrograph (FORS2) at the Very Large Telescope (VLT). We extend this study to include additional 10 early-type galaxies with PNe radial velocity measurements available from the literature, including previous PNS studies, in order to obtain …
Testing The Nature Of S0 Galaxies Using Planetary Nebula Kinematics In Ngc 1023, E. Noordermeer, M. R. Merrifield, L. Coccato, M. Arnaboldi, M. Capaccioli, N. G. Douglas, K. C. Freeman, O. Gerhard, K. Kuijken, F. De Lorenzi, N. R. Napolitano, Aaron J. Romanowsky
Testing The Nature Of S0 Galaxies Using Planetary Nebula Kinematics In Ngc 1023, E. Noordermeer, M. R. Merrifield, L. Coccato, M. Arnaboldi, M. Capaccioli, N. G. Douglas, K. C. Freeman, O. Gerhard, K. Kuijken, F. De Lorenzi, N. R. Napolitano, Aaron J. Romanowsky
Faculty Publications
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 …
The Dark Matter Halo Of Ngc 1399- Cdm Or Mond?, T. Richtler, Y. Schuberth, M. Hilker, B. Dirsch, L. Bassino, Aaron J. Romanowsky
The Dark Matter Halo Of Ngc 1399- Cdm Or Mond?, T. Richtler, Y. Schuberth, M. Hilker, B. Dirsch, L. Bassino, Aaron J. Romanowsky
Faculty Publications
Context. Central galaxies in galaxy clusters may be key discriminants in the competition between the cold dark matter (CDM) paradigm and modified Newtonian dynamics (MOND). Aims. We investigate the dark halo of NGC 1399, the central galaxy of the Fornax cluster, out to a galactocentric distance of 80 kpc. Methods.The data base consists of 656 radial velocities of globular clusters obtained with MXU/VLT and GMOS/Gemini, which is the largest sample so far for any galaxy. We performed a Jeans analysis for a non-rotating isotropic model. Results.An NFW halo with the parameters $r_{\rm s} = 50\,\rm {kpc}$ and $\varrho_{\rm s} = …
The Star Pile In Abell 545, R. Salinas, T. Richtler, M. J. West, Aaron J. Romanowsky, Y. Schuberth
The Star Pile In Abell 545, R. Salinas, T. Richtler, M. J. West, Aaron J. Romanowsky, Y. Schuberth
Faculty Publications
Context.Struble (1988, ApJ, 330, L25) found what appeared to be a cD halo without cD galaxy in the center of the galaxy cluster Abell 545. This remarkable feature has been passed almost unnoticed for nearly twenty years. Aims.Our goal is to review Struble's claim by providing a first (preliminary) photometric and spectroscopic analysis of this "star pile". Methods.Based on archival VLT-images and long-slit spectra obtained with Gemini-GMOS, we describe the photometric structure and measure the redshift of the star pile and of the central galaxy. Results.The star pile is indeed associated with Abell 545. Its velocity is higher by about …
The Pn.S Elliptical Galaxy Survey: Data Reduction, Planetary Nebula Catalog, And Basic Dynamics For Ngc 3379, N. G. Douglas, N. R. Napolitano, Aaron J. Romanowsky, L. Coccato, K. Kuijken, M. R. Merrifield, M. Arnaboldi, O. Gerhard, K. C. Freeman, H. R. Merrett, E. Noordermeer, M. Capaccioli
The Pn.S Elliptical Galaxy Survey: Data Reduction, Planetary Nebula Catalog, And Basic Dynamics For Ngc 3379, N. G. Douglas, N. R. Napolitano, Aaron J. Romanowsky, L. Coccato, K. Kuijken, M. R. Merrifield, M. Arnaboldi, O. Gerhard, K. C. Freeman, H. R. Merrett, E. Noordermeer, M. Capaccioli
Faculty Publications
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 lesssim20 km s-1 and a possible offset of similar magnitude. We present the results of kinematic modeling and show that the PN kinematics is consistent with absorption-line data in the region where they overlap. The resulting combined kinematic data set, …
A Deep Kinematic Survey Of Planetary Nebulae In The Andromeda Galaxy Using The Planetary Nebula Spectrograph, H. R. Merrett, M. R. Merrifield, N. G. Douglas, K. Kuijken, Aaron J. Romanowsky, N. R. Napolitano, M. Arnaboldi, M. Capaccioli, K. C. Freeman, O. Gerhard, L. Coccato, D. Carter, N. W. Evans, M. I. Wilkinson, C. Halliday, T. J. Bridges
A Deep Kinematic Survey Of Planetary Nebulae In The Andromeda Galaxy Using The Planetary Nebula Spectrograph, H. R. Merrett, M. R. Merrifield, N. G. Douglas, K. Kuijken, Aaron J. Romanowsky, N. R. Napolitano, M. Arnaboldi, M. Capaccioli, K. C. Freeman, O. Gerhard, L. Coccato, D. Carter, N. W. Evans, M. I. Wilkinson, C. Halliday, T. J. Bridges
Faculty Publications
We present a catalogue of positions, magnitudes and velocities for 3300 emission-line objects found by the Planetary Nebula Spectrograph in a survey of the Andromeda galaxy, M31. Of these objects, 2615 are found likely to be planetary nebulae (PNe) associated with M31. The survey area covers the whole of M31's disc out to a radius of Graphic. Beyond this radius, observations have been made along the major and minor axes, and the Northern Spur and Southern Stream regions. The calibrated data have been checked for internal consistency and compared with other catalogues. With the exception of the very central, high …
Planetary Nebula Velocities In The Disc And Bulge Of M31, C. Halliday, D. Carter, T. J. Bridges, Z. C. Jackson, M. I. Wilkinson, D. P. Quinn, N. W. Evans, N. G. Douglas, H. R. Merrett, Aaron J. Romanowsky, K. Kuijken, M. J. Irwin
Planetary Nebula Velocities In The Disc And Bulge Of M31, C. Halliday, D. Carter, T. J. Bridges, Z. C. Jackson, M. I. Wilkinson, D. P. Quinn, N. W. Evans, N. G. Douglas, H. R. Merrett, Aaron J. Romanowsky, K. Kuijken, M. J. Irwin
Faculty Publications
We present radial velocities for a sample of 723 planetary nebulae in the disc and bulge of M31, measured using the WYFFOS fibre spectrograph on the William Herschel Telescope. Velocities are determined using the [O III] λ5007 emission line. Rotation and velocity dispersion are measured to a radius of 50 arcmin (11.5 kpc), the first stellar rotation curve and velocity dispersion profile for M31 to such a radius. Our kinematics are consistent with rotational support at radii well beyond the bulge effective radius of 1.4 kpc, although our data beyond a radius of 5 kpc are limited. We present tentative …
Wide-Field Kinematics Of Globular Clusters In The Leo I Group, G. Bergond, S. E. Zepf, Aaron J. Romanowsky, R. M. Sharples, K. L. Rhode
Wide-Field Kinematics Of Globular Clusters In The Leo I Group, G. Bergond, S. E. Zepf, Aaron J. Romanowsky, R. M. Sharples, K. L. Rhode
Faculty Publications
We present wide-field spectroscopy of globular clusters around the Leo I group galaxies NGC 3379 and NGC 3384 using the FLAMES multi-fibre instrument at the VLT. We obtain accurate radial velocities for 42 globular clusters (GCs) in total, 30 for GCs around the elliptical NGC 3379, eight around the lenticular NGC 3384, and four which may be associated with either galaxy. These data are notable for their large radial range extending from 0$\farcm$7 to 14$\farcm$5 (2 to 42 kpc) from the centre of NGC 3379, and small velocity uncertainties of about 10 km s-1. We combine our sample of 30 …
The Araucaria Project. An Accurate Distance To Ngc 6822 From Near-Infrared Photometry Of Cepheid Variables, W. Gieren, G. Pietrzyński, K. Nalewajko, I. Soszyński, F. Bresolin, R.-P. Kudritzki, D. Minniti, Aaron J. Romanowsky
The Araucaria Project. An Accurate Distance To Ngc 6822 From Near-Infrared Photometry Of Cepheid Variables, W. Gieren, G. Pietrzyński, K. Nalewajko, I. Soszyński, F. Bresolin, R.-P. Kudritzki, D. Minniti, Aaron J. Romanowsky
Faculty Publications
We have measured near-infrared magnitudes in the J and K bands for 56 Cepheid variables in the Local Group galaxy NGC 6822 with well-determined periods and optical light curves in the V and I bands. Using the template light-curve approach of Soszyński and coworkers, accurate mean magnitudes were obtained from these data, which allowed us to determine with unprecedented accuracy the distance to NGC 6822 from a multiwavelength period-luminosity solution in the VIJK bands. From our data, we obtain a distance to NGC 6822 of (m - M)0 = 23.312 ± 0.021 (random error) mag, with an additional systematic uncertainty …
Mass-To-Light Ratio Gradients In Early-Type Galaxy Haloes, N. R. Napolitano, M. Capaccioli, Aaron J. Romanowsky, N. G. Douglas, M. R. Merrifield, K. Kuijken, M. Arnaboldi, O. Gerhard, K. C. Freeman
Mass-To-Light Ratio Gradients In Early-Type Galaxy Haloes, N. R. Napolitano, M. Capaccioli, Aaron J. Romanowsky, N. G. Douglas, M. R. Merrifield, K. Kuijken, M. Arnaboldi, O. Gerhard, K. C. Freeman
Faculty Publications
Owing to the fact that the near future should see a rapidly expanding set of probes of the halo masses of individual early-type galaxies, we introduce a convenient parameter for characterizing the halo masses from both observational and theoretical results: ∇ℓϒ, the logarithmic radial gradient of the mass-to-light ratio. Using halo density profiles from Λ-cold dark matter (CDM) simulations, we derive predictions for this gradient for various galaxy luminosities and star formation efficiencies εSF. As a pilot study, we assemble the available ∇ℓϒ data from kinematics in early-type galaxies – representing the first unbiased study of halo masses in a …
Tracing The Star Stream Through M31 Using Planetary Nebula Kinematics, H. R. Merrett, K. Kuijken, M. R. Merrifield, Aaron J. Romanowsky, N. G. Douglas, N. R. Napolitano, M. Arnaboldi, M. Capaccioli, K. C. Freeman, O. Gerhard, N. W. Evans, M. I. Wilkinson, C. Halliday, T. J. Bridges, D. Carter
Tracing The Star Stream Through M31 Using Planetary Nebula Kinematics, H. R. Merrett, K. Kuijken, M. R. Merrifield, Aaron J. Romanowsky, N. G. Douglas, N. R. Napolitano, M. Arnaboldi, M. Capaccioli, K. C. Freeman, O. Gerhard, N. W. Evans, M. I. Wilkinson, C. Halliday, T. J. Bridges, D. Carter
Faculty Publications
We present a possible orbit for the Southern Stream of stars in M31, which connects it to the Northern Spur. Support for this model comes from the dynamics of planetary nebulae (PNe) in the disc of M31: analysis of a new sample of 2611 PNe obtained using the Planetary Nebula Spectrograph reveals ∼20 objects with kinematics inconsistent with the normal components of the galaxy, but which lie at the right positions and velocities to connect the two photometric features via this orbit. The satellite galaxy M32 is coincident with the stream both in position and velocity, adding weight to the …
A Dearth Of Dark Matter In Ordinary Elliptical Galaxies, Aaron J. Romanowsky, N. G. Douglas, M. Arnaboldi, K. Kuijken, M. R. Merrifield, N. R. Napolitano, M. Capaccioli
A Dearth Of Dark Matter In Ordinary Elliptical Galaxies, Aaron J. Romanowsky, N. G. Douglas, M. Arnaboldi, K. Kuijken, M. R. Merrifield, N. R. Napolitano, M. Capaccioli
Faculty Publications
The kinematics of the outer parts of three intermediate-luminosity elliptical galaxies were studied with the Planetary Nebula Spectrograph. The galaxies' velocity-dispersion profiles were found to decline with the radius, and dynamical modeling of the data indicates the presence of little if any dark matter in these galaxies' halos. This unexpected result conflicts with findings in other galaxy types and poses a challenge to current galaxy formation theories.
The Planetary Nebula Spectrograph: The Green Light For Galaxy Kinematics, N. G. Douglas, M. Arnaboldi, K. C. Freeman, K. Kuijken, M. R. Merrifield, Aaron J. Romanowsky, K. Taylor, M. Capaccioli, T. Axelrod, R. Gilmozzi, J. Hart, G. Bloxham, D. Jones
The Planetary Nebula Spectrograph: The Green Light For Galaxy Kinematics, N. G. Douglas, M. Arnaboldi, K. C. Freeman, K. Kuijken, M. R. Merrifield, Aaron J. Romanowsky, K. Taylor, M. Capaccioli, T. Axelrod, R. Gilmozzi, J. Hart, G. Bloxham, D. Jones
Faculty Publications
Planetary nebulae (PNe) are now well established as probes of galaxy dynamics and as standard candles in distance determinations. Motivated by the need to improve the efficiency of planetary nebulae searches and the speed with which their radial velocities are determined, a dedicated instrument—the Planetary Nebula Spectrograph, or PN.S—has been designed and commissioned at the 4.2 m William Herschel Telescope. The high optical efficiency of the spectrograph results in the detection of typically ∼150 PNe in galaxies at the distance of the Virgo Cluster in one night of observations. In the same observation, the radial velocities are obtained with an …
Dynamics Of Stars And Globular Clusters In M87, Aaron J. Romanowsky, C. S. Kochanek
Dynamics Of Stars And Globular Clusters In M87, Aaron J. Romanowsky, C. S. Kochanek
Faculty Publications
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 …