Stellar systems following the $R^{1/m}$ luminosity law. III. Photometric, intrinsic, and dynamical properties for all Sérsic indices

Abstract

The Sérsic or $R^{1/m}$ model has become the de facto standard model to describe the surface brightness profiles of early-type galaxies and the bulges of spiral galaxies. The photometric, intrinsic, and dynamical properties of this model have been investigated, but mainly for fairly large Sérsic indices $m$. For small values of $m$, appropriate for low-mass and dwarf ellipticals, a detailed investigation of these properties is still lacking. In this study, we used a combination of numerical and analytical techniques to investigate the Sérsic model over the entire range of Sérsic parameters, focussing on the small $m$ regime, where a number of interesting and surprising properties are found. For all values $m<1$, the model is characterised by a finite central luminosity density, and for $m<\frac{1}{2}$, even a central depression in the luminosity density profile. This behaviour translates to the dynamical properties: we show that all Sérsic models with $m⩾\frac{1}{2}$ can be supported by an isotropic velocity dispersion tensor, and that these isotropic models are stable to both radial and non-radial perturbations. The models with $m<\frac{1}{2}$, on the other hand, cannot be supported by an isotropic velocity dispersion tensor.

10 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in A&A

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