HI in Early-type Galaxies
Abstract
We summarise the HI properties of early-type galaxies, in particular the differences in HI morphologies observed in early-type galaxies of different luminosities. We find that in low-luminosity early-type galaxies the HI is almost always in a disk-like structure, with central surface densities high enough for star formation to occur. In a few luminous early-type galaxies the HI is also in a disk or in a ring-like structure, but in most luminous early-type galaxies the HI has a relatively irregular morphology. The surface densities in the HI disks in luminous early-type galaxies are lower than in the HI disks in low-luminosity early-type galaxies and no large-scale star formation should occur in these disks. We discuss these different HI characteristics in the context of other properties of early-type galaxies that correlate with luminosity.
- Publication:
-
Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia
- Pub Date:
- April 1999
- DOI:
- 10.1071/AS99028
- arXiv:
- arXiv:astro-ph/9902011
- Bibcode:
- 1999PASA...16...28O
- Keywords:
-
- ELLIPICAL GALAXIES;
- ISM;
- galaxies: elliptical and lenticular;
- cD;
- galaxies: ISM;
- Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- Accepted for publication in PASA. Proceedings of workshop "HI in the Local Universe, II", held in Melbourne, Sept. 1998. 9 pages, LateX, 6 figures