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Paper: Halo Dynamics of M 87
Volume: 197, XVth IAP Meeting Dynamics of Galaxies: From the Early Universe to the Present
Page: 401
Authors: Romanowsky, Aaron J.; Kochanek, Christopher S.
Abstract: We examine the dynamics of the stars and globular clusters in the nearby giant galaxy M87 and constrain the mass distribution using all the available kinematical data, including higher-order moments of the stellar line-of-sight velocity distributions and the discrete velocities of more than 200 globular clusters. Employing a robust orbit modeling method we rule out both a constant mass-to-light ratio model and a singular isothermal mass model. Our results imply the presence of a dark halo with a radial density profile that falls off more slowly than r-2, suggesting that the potential of the Virgo Cluster is already dominant at r ~20 kpc.
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