The density of dark matter haloes of early-type galaxies in low density environments

E. M. Corsini, G. A. Wegner, J. Thomas, R. P. Saglia, R. Bender

Published 2016-11-11Version 1

New photometric and long-slit spectroscopic observations are presented for NGC 7113, PGC 1852, and PGC 67207, which are three bright galaxies residing in low density environments. The surface-brightness distribution is analysed from K_S-band images taken with adaptive optics at the Gemini North Telescope and ugriz-band images from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey while the line-of-sight stellar velocity distribution and line-strength Lick indices inside the effective radius are measured along several position angles. The age, metallicity, and alpha-element abundance of the galaxies are estimated from single stellar-population models. In spite of the available morphological classification, images show that PGC 1852 is a barred spiral which we do not further consider for mass modelling. The structural parameters of the two early-type galaxies NGC 7113 and PGC 67207 are obtained from a two-dimensional photometric decomposition and the mass-to-light ratio of all the (luminous and dark) mass that follows the light is derived from orbit-based axisymmetric dynamical modelling together with the mass density of the dark matter halo. The dynamically derived mass that follows the light is about a factor 2 larger than the stellar mass derived using stellar-population models with Kroupa initial mass function. Both galaxies have a lower content of halo dark matter with respect to early-type galaxies in high density environments and in agreement with the predictions of semi-analytical models of galaxy formation.