1998/11/02 by Melinda L. Weil, Weil, Melinda L.
Environmental Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy and Astrophysical Research #Astrophysics (astro-ph) #FOS: Physical sciences #Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena #Impact of Light on Environment and Health #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.astro-ph/9811032
3 pages, LaTeX, requires paspconf.sty, 1 PostScript figure, to appear in the proceedings of "Galaxy Dynamics", conference held at Rutgers, 08/98
arxiv created 1998/11/02 · openalex publication_date 1998/11/02 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
The virial, projected and spherical Jeans equation galaxy mass estimators are compared. High-resolution models of elliptical galaxies from N-body simulations are used to compare predicted mass profiles. Averages over eight models and directions in the three intrinsic projections show that all the mass estimators are comparably poor for r<4 kpc but that, with the exception of the projected mass estimator, errors are within approximately 10 - 20% out to r=40 kpc. Because kinematic data for elliptical galaxies are now available out to several effective radii, mass estimation techniques which are simple to apply can provide mass profiles and mass-to-light ratios at large radii.