Long-Slit Kinematic Data for a Sample of Interacting Ellipticals: Searching for `U'
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Session 42 -- Ellipticals
Display presentation, Thursday, January 13, 9:30-6:45, Salons I/II Room (Crystal Gateway)

[42.04] Long-Slit Kinematic Data for a Sample of Interacting Ellipticals: Searching for `U'

K.D. Borne (STScI), M. Balcells (Groningen U.), J.G. Hoessel (U. Wisconsin), M. McMaster (STScI)

We have analyzed long-slit spectroscopic data for a sample of tidally disturbed elliptical galaxies. Rotation curves and velocity dispersion profiles have been measured at a variety of position angles in these galaxies and have been used to analyze the dynamical response and internal kinematics of stellar systems involved in strong gravitational encounters. We have confirmed with these data our previous observation that such galaxies often reveal {\tt{U}}-shaped `rotation' profiles, indicative of a strong resonant tidal effect among those stars that are moving prograde with respect to the galactic encounter. In addition to furthering our understanding of the internal dynamics of colliding galaxies in general, the velocity profiles along new position angles confirm the validity of tidal interaction models that were previously derived for specific pairs in our sample using only a single slit position angle per galaxy. Additional insight into possible refinements of those collision models has also resulted from this study. (STScI is operated by AURA, Inc. for NASA.)

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