The orbital structure of the massive elliptical galaxy NGC 5846

P. Das*, O. Gerhard, L. Coccato, E. Churazov, W. Forman, A. Finoguenov, H. Böhringer, M. Arnaboldi, M. Capaccioli, A. Cortesi, F. De Lorenz, N. G. Douglas, K. C. Freeman, K. Kuijken, M. R. Merrifield, N. R. Napolitano, E. Noordermeer, A. J. Romanowsky

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    7 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    We use density and temperature profiles obtained from XMM-Newton observations to derive a potential of NGC 5846 out to 11Re, thus probing the mass distribution deep into the halo. The inferred circular velocity is significantly higher than the extrapolation of dynamical models implying a halo, more massive than previously thought. Using an I-band surfacebrightness profile and a projected velocity dispersion profile consisting of long-slit kinematic measurements and planetary nebulae (PNe) velocity dispersions, we solve the Jeans equations, assuming a non-rotating spherical system. The solutions suggest a highly radially anisotropic galaxy outside 0.7Re with β ∼ 0.75.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)940-943
    Number of pages4
    JournalAstronomische Nachrichten
    Volume329
    Issue number9-10
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Dec 2008

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