Bibcode
Kleineberg, K.; Sánchez-Blázquez, P.; Vazdekis, A.
Bibliographical reference
The Astrophysical Journal Letters, Volume 732, Issue 2, article id. L33 (2011).
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5
2011
Citations
8
Refereed citations
8
Description
We find a distinct stellar population in the counterrotating and
kinematically decoupled core of the isolated massive elliptical galaxy
NGC 1700. Coinciding with the edge of this core, we find a significant
change in the slope of the gradient of various representative absorption
line indices. Our age estimate for this core is markedly younger than
the main body of the galaxy. We find lower values for the age,
metallicity, and Mg/Fe abundance ratio in the center of this galaxy when
we compare them with other isolated elliptical galaxies with similar
velocity dispersion. We discuss the different possible scenarios that
might have lead to the formation of this younger kinematically decoupled
structure and conclude that, in light of our findings, the ingestion of
a small stellar companion on a retrograde orbit is the most favored.
Related projects
Traces of Galaxy Formation: Stellar populations, Dynamics and Morphology
We are a large, diverse, and very active research group aiming to provide a comprehensive picture for the formation of galaxies in the Universe. Rooted in detailed stellar population analysis, we are constantly exploring and developing new tools and ideas to understand how galaxies came to be what we now observe.
Ignacio
Martín Navarro