Past exam of the short options paper of the physics Prelims of the University of Oxford / 2021 / S02 / 3 / b

Assume virial equilibrium, structurally homologous early-type galaxies, a fixed relation between the measured central velocity dispersion ${\sigma }_c$ and the global random stellar motions, and a constant total mass-to-light ratio ${\rm Y}$. The virial theorem gives $M=k_v{\sigma }_c^2{R}_e/G$, where the dimensionless structure factor $k_v$ is common to the sample. With ${\mathcal{I}}_e$ denoting mean linear surface brightness inside the effective radius, $L=2\pi R_e^2{\mathcal{I}}_e$. ThusThe usual observed fundamental plane of elliptical galaxies has a tilt relative to these exponents because mass-to-light ratio varies with stellar population, chemical composition, and dark matter fraction; structural and dynamical nonhomology can also change $k_v$.

Printed convention. The source places the logarithm of a value expressed in $\mathrm{mag}\mathrm{arcse}{\mathrm{c}}^{-2}$ in the empirical fit. This differs from the usual logarithm of linear surface brightness. If ${\mu }_e$ is the quoted magnitude surface brightness,A coefficient $-0.8$ on $\log {\mathcal{I}}_e$ therefore becomes $+0.32$ on ${\mu }_e$, with an adjusted intercept; it does not become $-0.8\log {\mu }_e$. For a concrete distinction, changing ${\mu }_e$ from 20 to 25 decreases linear surface brightness by a factor 100, so the linear-intensity fit changes $R_e$ by $100^{0.8}\simeq 39.8$, whereas the literal printed logarithm changes it by $(25/20{)}^{-0.8}\simeq 0.837$.

The following part evaluates the printed numerical fit literally and labels that convention. If the fit was intended for linear surface brightness, its calibration must be specified; a conditional result for using the same coefficients with linear units is also given. No equality between these two conventions is assumed.