On the shape of the light profiles of early-type galaxies

We have obtained the best fit to the light profiles of a luminosity limitedsample of elliptical and S0 galaxies with a power law \rn, letting the exponentremain free rather than keeping it fixed at $1/n=1/4$ as in the well known \GVformula. The introduction of a free parameter in the fitting formula (rangingfrom $n=0.5$ for $<\re>=0.3$ kpc to $n=16$ for $<\re>=25$ kpc) is justified bythe existence of a good correlation between $n$ and the global galaxianparameters, such as total luminosity and scale-radius. This result seems to bein line with the segregation of properties between the `ordinary' and `bright'families of early-type galaxies, and has consequence for the claimedindependence of the shape of galaxy profiles with respect to the FundamentalPlane parameters.Comment: 10 pages, postscript file including figures, PADOVA (archived file truncated during email transfer