Elliptical galaxy

An elliptical galaxy has a smooth spheroidal stellar distribution and little cold gas. Low-mass systems are commonly flattened fast rotators, while the most massive systems are commonly slowly rotating, anisotropic, and triaxial.

The fundamental plane relates effective radius, stellar velocity dispersion, and mean surface brightness of elliptical galaxies. Homologous virial equilibrium with constant mass-to-light ratio predicts $R_e\propto {\sigma }^2/I_e$; empirical exponents differ. The two-variable Faber-Jackson relation is a projection, not the entire plane.

The Faber-Jackson relation is an empirical correlation between luminosity and stellar velocity dispersion for elliptical galaxies, approximately $L\propto {\sigma }^4$ in its classical form. Slope, scatter, sample and band matter. A heuristic combines $M\propto {\sigma }^{2}R$, common mass-to-light ratio, and common characteristic surface brightness $L/R^2$. The luminosity-dispersion correlation alone does not imply those auxiliary assumptions, and extrapolation to a dwarf spheroidal galaxy is not guaranteed.

Bright elliptical galaxies commonly have a shallow central surface-brightness cusp inside a break radius, whereas many less luminous elliptical galaxies have a steep cusp continuing inward. The latter can have many more luminous tracers at a fixed small radius, helping central black hole dynamical measurements. This empirical distinction is not a universal classification by mass alone. Measurements of central galaxy profiles quantify the contrast.

An oblate isotropic rotator is flattened primarily by ordered rotation while its random velocity dispersion is isotropic. Its location in a $v/\sigma$--ellipticity diagram provides a reference against which anisotropy is measured.

A rotation-anisotropy diagram compares ordered rotation divided by velocity dispersion with a galaxy's flattening. An oblate isotropic rotator provides a reference curve. Falling below it can indicate anisotropic random support, but inclination, measurement apertures, and the definition of rotation change the interpretation. Intrinsic axis ratios and projected ellipticities are different observables.

The simplified moment prescription $q={\sigma }_z^2/({\sigma }_x^2+v_p^2)$, with $e=1-q$ and $\beta =1-{\sigma }_z^2/{\sigma }_x^2$, gives the displayed relation by solving for $v_p^2$. The prescription is an approximation, not a consequence of the tensor virial theorem for arbitrary oblate density profiles. For constant azimuthal streaming $v_{\mathrm{az}}$, the one-component streaming second moment is $v_p^2=v_{\mathrm{az}}^2/2$.

Fast rotators have substantial ordered stellar rotation and are often disky and nearly axisymmetric. Slow rotators have low specific angular momentum and are often massive, anisotropic, triaxial, and core-profiled.