TY - JOUR
T1 - On the Connection Between Shape and Stellar Population in Early-type Galaxies
AU - D'Onofrio..[et al.], M.
AU - Valentinuzzi, T.
AU - Fasano, G.
AU - Rasmussen, Per Kjærgaard
PY - 2011/1/20
Y1 - 2011/1/20
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
U2 - 10.1088/2041-8205/727/1/L6
DO - 10.1088/2041-8205/727/1/L6
M3 - Journal article
SN - 2041-8205
VL - 727
SP - L6
JO - The Astrophysical Journal Letters
JF - The Astrophysical Journal Letters
IS - 1
ER -