Metallicity Gradients in the Halos of Elliptical Galaxies

Jenny E. Greene; Chung Pei Ma; Andrew Goulding; Nicholas J. McConnell; John P. Blakeslee; Timothy Davis; Jens Thomas

doi:10.1017/S1743921315010479

Metallicity Gradients in the Halos of Elliptical Galaxies

Jenny E. Greene, Chung Pei Ma, Andrew Goulding, Nicholas J. McConnell, John P. Blakeslee, Timothy Davis, Jens Thomas

Astrophysical Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

We discuss the stellar halos of massive elliptical galaxies, as revealed by our ambitious integral-field spectroscopic survey MASSIVE. We show that metallicity drops smoothly as a function of radius out to ∼ 2.5 Re , while the [α/Fe] abundance ratios stay flat. The stars in the outskirts likely formed rapidly (to explain the high ratio of alpha to Fe) but in a relatively shallow potential (to explain the low metallicities). This is consistent with expectations for a two-phase growth of massive galaxies, in which the second phase involves accretion of small satellites. We also show some preliminary study of the gas content of these most MASSIVE galaxies.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	182-189
Number of pages	8
Journal	Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union
Volume	11
Issue number	S317
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1017/S1743921315010479
State	Published - Aug 1 2015

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

Keywords

cD
galaxies: elliptical and lenticular
galaxies: evolution
galaxies: kinematics and dynamics
galaxies: stellar content

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10.1017/S1743921315010479

Cite this

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title = "Metallicity Gradients in the Halos of Elliptical Galaxies",

abstract = "We discuss the stellar halos of massive elliptical galaxies, as revealed by our ambitious integral-field spectroscopic survey MASSIVE. We show that metallicity drops smoothly as a function of radius out to ∼ 2.5 Re , while the [α/Fe] abundance ratios stay flat. The stars in the outskirts likely formed rapidly (to explain the high ratio of alpha to Fe) but in a relatively shallow potential (to explain the low metallicities). This is consistent with expectations for a two-phase growth of massive galaxies, in which the second phase involves accretion of small satellites. We also show some preliminary study of the gas content of these most MASSIVE galaxies.",

keywords = "cD, galaxies: elliptical and lenticular, galaxies: evolution, galaxies: kinematics and dynamics, galaxies: stellar content",

author = "Greene, {Jenny E.} and Ma, {Chung Pei} and Andrew Goulding and McConnell, {Nicholas J.} and Blakeslee, {John P.} and Timothy Davis and Jens Thomas",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2016 International Astronomical Union.",

year = "2015",

month = aug,

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doi = "10.1017/S1743921315010479",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "11",

pages = "182--189",

journal = "Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union",

issn = "1743-9213",

publisher = "Cambridge University Press",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Metallicity Gradients in the Halos of Elliptical Galaxies

AU - Greene, Jenny E.

AU - Ma, Chung Pei

AU - Goulding, Andrew

AU - McConnell, Nicholas J.

AU - Blakeslee, John P.

AU - Davis, Timothy

AU - Thomas, Jens

PY - 2015/8/1

Y1 - 2015/8/1

N2 - We discuss the stellar halos of massive elliptical galaxies, as revealed by our ambitious integral-field spectroscopic survey MASSIVE. We show that metallicity drops smoothly as a function of radius out to ∼ 2.5 Re , while the [α/Fe] abundance ratios stay flat. The stars in the outskirts likely formed rapidly (to explain the high ratio of alpha to Fe) but in a relatively shallow potential (to explain the low metallicities). This is consistent with expectations for a two-phase growth of massive galaxies, in which the second phase involves accretion of small satellites. We also show some preliminary study of the gas content of these most MASSIVE galaxies.

AB - We discuss the stellar halos of massive elliptical galaxies, as revealed by our ambitious integral-field spectroscopic survey MASSIVE. We show that metallicity drops smoothly as a function of radius out to ∼ 2.5 Re , while the [α/Fe] abundance ratios stay flat. The stars in the outskirts likely formed rapidly (to explain the high ratio of alpha to Fe) but in a relatively shallow potential (to explain the low metallicities). This is consistent with expectations for a two-phase growth of massive galaxies, in which the second phase involves accretion of small satellites. We also show some preliminary study of the gas content of these most MASSIVE galaxies.

KW - cD

KW - galaxies: elliptical and lenticular

KW - galaxies: evolution

KW - galaxies: kinematics and dynamics

KW - galaxies: stellar content

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JF - Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union

IS - S317

ER -

Metallicity Gradients in the Halos of Elliptical Galaxies

Abstract

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Keywords

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