We report on the discovery of a relation between the stellar mass M* of early-type galaxies (hereafter ETGs), their shape, as parameterized by the Sersic index n, and their stellar mass-to-light ratio M*/L. In a three-dimensional log space defined by these variables, the ETGs populate a plane surface with small scatter. This relation tells us that galaxy shape and stellar population are not independent physical variables, a result that must be accounted for by theories of galaxy formation and evolution.
On the Connection Between Shape and Stellar Population in Early-type Galaxies
D'ONOFRIO, MAURO;MORETTI, ALESSIA;
2011
Abstract
We report on the discovery of a relation between the stellar mass M* of early-type galaxies (hereafter ETGs), their shape, as parameterized by the Sersic index n, and their stellar mass-to-light ratio M*/L. In a three-dimensional log space defined by these variables, the ETGs populate a plane surface with small scatter. This relation tells us that galaxy shape and stellar population are not independent physical variables, a result that must be accounted for by theories of galaxy formation and evolution.File in questo prodotto:
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