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| Paper: |
Analytical Properties of the R1/m Law |
| Volume: |
197, XVth IAP Meeting Dynamics of Galaxies: From the Early Universe to the Present |
| Page: |
247 |
| Authors: |
Ciotti, L.; Bertin, G. |
| Abstract: |
In this paper we describe some analytical properties of the R1/m law proposed by Sersic (1968) to categorize the photometric profiles of elliptical galaxies. In particular, we present the full asymptotic expansion for the dimensionless scale factor b(m) that is introduced when referring the profile to the standard effective radius. Surprisingly, our asymptotic analysis turns out to be useful even for values of m as low as unity, thus providing a unified analytical tool for observational and theoretical investigations based on the R1/m law for the entire range of interesting photometric profiles, from spiral to elliptical galaxies. The systematic asymptotic analysis provided here also allows us to clarify the value and the limitations of the power law R-2 often used in the past as a natural representation of the surface brightness profiles of elliptical galaxies. |
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