Publication Date:
2011-08-19
Description:
New data on the stellar dynamics of 20 powerful radio galaxies (PRGs) were collected with the KPNO 4 m using the RC spectrograph and a TI CCD and were combined with similar data in the literature to generate a total sample of 47 PRGs. A detailed investigation of the various PRG subgroups (normal/peculiar optical morphology, and presence/absence of optical emission lines) revealed important distinctions among these groups as well as distinctions between some PRGs and normal elliptical galaxies. It is found that PRGs with peculiar optical morphologies are dynamically peculiar as well: their stellar velocity dispersions are lower than those of both elliptical galaxies and PRGs with normal optical morphologies, and they show evidence for more rotational support. Results suggest that some of the PRGs are the product of a merger of two galaxies, at least one of which was a disk system.
Keywords:
ASTROPHYSICS
Type:
Astrophysical Journal, Part 1 (ISSN 0004-637X); 356; 399-415
Format:
text
