Radial variations in the stellar initial mass function of early-type galaxies

Martín-Navarro, I.; Barbera, Francesco La; Vazdekis, A.; Falcón-Barroso, J.; Ferreras, Ignacio
Bibliographical reference

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 447, Issue 2, p.1033-1048

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2
2015
Number of authors
5
IAC number of authors
3
Citations
172
Refereed citations
161
Description
The hypothesis of a universal initial mass function (IMF) - motivated by observations in nearby stellar systems - has been recently challenged by the discovery of a systematic variation of the IMF with the central velocity dispersion, σ, of early-type galaxies (ETGs), towards an excess of low-mass stars in high-σ galaxies. This trend has been derived so far from integrated spectra, and remains unexplained at present. To test whether such trend depends on the local properties within a galaxy, we have obtained new, extremely deep, spectroscopic data, for three nearby ETGs, two galaxies with high σ (˜300 km s- 1), and one lower mass system, with σ ˜ 100 km s- 1. From the analysis of IMF-sensitive spectral features, we find that the IMF depends significantly on galactocentric distance in the massive ETGs, with the enhanced fraction of low-mass stars mostly confined to their central regions. In contrast, the low-σ galaxy does not show any significant radial gradient in the IMF, well described by a shallower distribution, relative to the innermost regions of massive galaxies, at all radii. Such a result indicates that the IMF should be regarded as a local (rather than global) property, and suggests a significant difference between the formation process of the core and the outer regions of massive ETGs.
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Group members
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
Group members
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