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Rotationally supported Virgo dwarf elliptical galaxies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 November 2005

L. van Zee
Affiliation:
Department of Astronomy, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA email: vanzee@astro.indiana.edu
E.D. Skillman
Affiliation:
Astronomy Department, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA email: skillman@astro.umn.edu
M.P. Haynes
Affiliation:
Center for Radiophysics and Space Research and National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA email: haynes@astro.cornell.edu
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Abstract

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We present the results of optical stellar rotation curves of 16 dwarf elliptical galaxies in the Virgo Cluster. Approximately half of this sample have significant velocity gradients along their optical major axis, with typical rotation amplitudes of 20—30 km s$^{-1}$. Evidence for a relationship between the rotation amplitude and galaxy luminosity is found and agrees well with the Tully-Fisher relation. The similarity in the scaling relations of dIs and dEs implies that it is unlikely that dEs evolve from significantly more luminous galaxies. These observations reaffirm the possibility that some cluster dwarf elliptical galaxies may be formed when the neutral gaseous medium is stripped from dwarf irregular galaxies in the cluster environment.

Type
Contributed Papers
Copyright
© 2005 International Astronomical Union