Analytical dynamical models for double power-law galactic nuclei

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32 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Motivated by the finding that the observed surface brightness profiles of many galactic nuclei are fitted well by double power laws, we explore a range of spherical self-consistent dynamical models with this light profile. We, find that the corresponding deprojected volume density profile, phase-space density and line-of-sight velocity distribution of these models are fitted well by simple analytic approximations. We illustrate the application of these models by fitting a sample of approximately 25 galactic nuclei observed by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Without a central black hole and strong anisotropy the models generally predict a negligibly small kurtosis parameter k(4). These models with a simple distribution function are suited to seed N-body simulations of galactic nuclei with realistic density profiles for studying the evolution of these systems.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)525-537
Number of pages13
JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume287
Issue number3
Publication statusPublished - 21 May 1997

Keywords

  • line, profiles
  • methods, analytical
  • galaxies, kinematics and dynamics
  • galaxies, nuclei
  • SELF-CONSISTENT MODELS
  • SPHERICAL GALAXIES
  • ELLIPTIC GALAXIES
  • STELLAR-SYSTEMS
  • PROFILES
  • FAMILY
  • BULGES

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