paper

On the Mass-to-Light ratio and the Initial Mass Function in disc galaxies

arXiv:astro-ph/0303190 · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2004.07207.x

Abstract

A low mass-to-light ratio for the stellar component of spiral galaxies (M/L<1 in the I-band) is advocated by various dynamical arguments and by recent cosmological simulations of the formation of these systems. We discuss this possibility by means of chemo-photometric models for galactic discs, adopting different Initial Mass Functions. We show that a number of "bottom--light" IMFs (namely, with less mass locked in low-mass stars than the standard Salpeter IMF), suggested independently in recent literature, do imply M/L ratios as low as mentioned above, at least for late type spirals (Sbc/Sc). This conclusion still holds when the bulge contribution to mass and light is included. We also predict the typical stellar M/L ratio, and correspondingly the zero-point of the Tully-Fisher relation, to vary considerably with Hubble type (about 0.5-0.7 mag in the red bands, from Sa to Sc type). For some of the bottom-light IMFs considered, the efficiency of metal production tends to exceed what is typically estimated for spiral galaxies. Suitable tuning of the IMF mass limits, post-supernova fallback of metals onto black holes or metal outflows must then be invoked, to reproduce the observed chemical properties of disc galaxies. In the appendix we provide M/L-colour relations to estimate the stellar M/L ratio of a galaxy on the base of its colours, for several IMFs.

32 pages, 28 figures, version in press on MNRAS. With respect to previous electronic version: extended discussion of model results in new Sect 7.6, 7.7, 7.8; discussion of B/D ratios in K-band in new Sect. 8.2; Appendix B added with M/L vs. colour relations from our models

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