Open AccessNear‐infrared imaging of ellipticals: surface brightness profiles and photometry
Author(s) -
Brown Richard J. N.,
Forbes Duncan A.,
Silva D.,
Helsdon Stephen F.,
Ponman T. J.,
Hau G. K. T.,
Brodie Jean P.,
Goudfrooij Paul,
Bothun G.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
monthly notices of the royal astronomical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.058
H-Index - 383
eISSN - 1365-2966
pISSN - 0035-8711
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-8711.2003.05947.x
Subject(s) - physics , surface brightness , astrophysics , photometry (optics) , galaxy , elliptical galaxy , fundamental plane (elliptical galaxies) , brightness , luminous infrared galaxy , infrared , surface brightness fluctuation , astronomy , brightest cluster galaxy , lenticular galaxy , stars
We present near‐infrared K ‐band imaging of a large sample of candidate merger remnant galaxies and Hickson Compact Group ellipticals. We derive light profile indices, effective radii and surface brightnesses, as well as total K ‐band magnitudes. We find that the light distributions of the merger remnant candidates are consistent with those of ‘normal’ ellipticals, and scatter around a mean profile index of (1/ n ) = 0.20 . Many of our sample galaxies have surface brightness profiles that are not well described by a de Vaucouleurs law (1/ n = 0.25) , and we discuss the implications of this on the derived total magnitudes. Comparing the total K magnitudes calculated by extrapolating a de Vaucouleurs profile and those derived using a generalized Sérsic form, we find that a significant bias is introduced if the de Vaucouleurs law is not a good description of the actual light profile.