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Title: The stellar content of central dominant galaxies. I. CCD surface photometry

Journal Article · · Astrophysical Journal, Supplement Series; (USA)
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/191482· OSTI ID:6439108
; ;  [1]
  1. Mount Stromlo and Siding Spring Observatories, Canberra (Australia) Royal Greenwich Observatory, Santa Cruz de la Palma (Spain)

UBVRI CCD surface photometry and color gradients are presented for 10 central dominant galaxies (CDGs), comprising gE, D, and cD morphological types and covering the range of Bautz-Morgan cluster types. The mean magnitude of the color gradients to a radius of 20 kpc is in agreement with those found in recent CCD studies of bright ellipticals in Virgo. The size of the gradients are consistent with N-body model predictions in which these galaxies are formed or enhanced by merger events. Parameters such as ellipticity, position angle of the major axis, and deviation from ellipticity for eight single-nucleus CDGs are also given. All galaxies show large changes in ellipticity and position angle with radius, and can be considered similar to Kormendy's T3 class of galaxies, in which tidal effects on isophotal structure are very probable. Three out of eight single-nucleus CDGs, NGC 1399, NGC 6876 and IC 1860, show evidence of isochromal flattening inside 10 kpc. Five (three boxy, two disk) out of the eight single-nucleus CDGs display nonelliptical isophotes. 111 refs.

OSTI ID:
6439108
Journal Information:
Astrophysical Journal, Supplement Series; (USA), Vol. 73; ISSN 0067-0049
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English