Dissertation submitted to the Combined Faculties for the Natural Sciences and for Mathematics of the Ruperto-Carola University of Heidelberg, Germany for the degree of Doctor of Natural Sciences Put forward by Diplom-Physiker: Akın Yıldırım Born in: Stuttgart, Germany Oral examination: 20 July 2015 Compact Elliptical Galaxies Akın Yıldırım Max Planck Institute for Astronomy Referees: Dr. Glenn van de Ven Prof. Dr. Volker Springel Zusammenfassung / Abstract In dieser Doktorarbeit wird ein Sample nahegelegener, kompakter, elliptischer Galaxien mit hohen zen- tralen stellaren Geschwindigkeitsdispersionen untersucht. Mittels qualitativ hochwertiger photometrischer und spektroskopischer Daten analysieren wir ihre strukturellen Eigenschaften und erstellen orbit-basierte dynamische Modelle um den Beitrag der stellaren und dunklen Materie sowie den Beitrag des super- massiven schwarzen Lochs zum Gesamtmassenbudget zu ermitteln. Wir zeigen, dass unser Sample kompakter elliptischer Galaxien Ausreißer in der Population lokaler elliptischer Galaxien darstellt, ihre Eigenschaften jedoch konsistent sind mit denen massiver und nicht-sternentstehender Galaxien bei Rotverschiebungen von z ' 2. Wir nehmen an, dass sich unser Sample seit z = 2 passiv weiteren- twickelt hat, was uns ermöglicht diese Relikte nun in präzedenzloser Ausführlichkeit zu untersuchen. Alle unsere Objekte sind scheibenförmig und rotieren schnell, bar einer druckunterstützten Bulge Kom- ponente, mit einem dominanten stellaren Massenanteil innerhalb des eektiven Radius. Wir nden ein übermassives schwarzes Loch in einer unserer Galaxien vor und vermuten, dass noch weitere Ent- deckungen in unserem Sample folgen werden. Dies deutet stark darauf hin, dass das Wachstum eines supermassiven schwarzen Lochs nicht unmittelbar an das Wachstum eines Bulges gebunden ist. Ab- schliessend zeigen wir, dass drei von sieben Galaxien in unserem Sample in ein dunkles Halo eingebettet sind, mit eindeutigen Hinweisen für ein sehr massives Halo in insbesondere einem Objekt. Das dunkle Halo in diesem Object, NGC 1281, stellt innerhalb von 5 eektiven Radien 90 Prozent der Gesamtmasse dar. Die Verteilung der dunklen Materie ist jedoch nicht in Einklang zu bringen mit jenen, die im Rahmen kalter, dunkler Materie Simulationen prognostiziert werden. — In this thesis, a sample of nearby, compact, elliptical galaxies with high central stellar velocity dispersions are studied. By means of high quality photometric and spectroscopic observations, we analyse their structural properties and construct state-of-the-art orbit-based dynamical models to constrain their total mass budgets, including the contribution of stars, dark matter and a supermassive black hole. We demonstrate that our sample of compact ellipticals are outliers of the local population of elliptical galaxies, but their properties are consistent with massive and non-starforming galaxies at much earlier times (z ' 2). We postulate that our sample has passively evolved since z = 2, which allows us to investigate these relic galaxies in unprecedented detail. All our objects are disky fast-rotators, devoid of a prominent pressure supported bulge, with a dominant stellar mass component inside one eective radius. We were able to detect an over-massive supermassive black hole in one galaxy and suspect that more will be detected in our sample. This strongly indicates that the growth of a supermassive black hole is not necessarily linked to the growth of a bulge. Finally, we show that at least three out of seven galaxies in our sample are embedded in a dark halo, with unambiguous evidence for a very massive dark halo in one particular object. The dark halo in this object, NCG 1281, constitutes 90 per cent of the total mass content within 5 eective radii, and the dark matter distribution cannot be reconciled with that predicted by cold dark matter simulations. i Acknowledgements This thesis is a product of expensive data, hard labour, sleepless nights, endless days, passion and despair. It is centred on improving our knowledge of distant galaxies, which, however, would not have been possible without the support and encouragement of many people within reach. Some of them, I would like to mention here: I owe much gratitude to my supervisors Remco van den Bosch and Glenn van de Ven for giving me the opportunity to join them on this incredible journey. They have been to me the best possible supervisors in every aspect. Thank you for sharing your enthusiasm, knowledge and wisdom. Your contributions to this thesis have been invaluable, and you have been a role model of a scientist for me. Simply put, you have been great. I would like to thank my thesis committee members Thorsten Lisker and Ralf Klessen for their unwaver- ing support and guidance. Volker Springel and André Schöning for their interest in my scientic work and their willingness to join my examination committee. I would like to acknowledge my collaborators, colleagues and friends, who have, one way or the other, contributed to this work and to my professional and personal development throughout these years. In particular, Ronald Läsker, Mariya Lyubenova, Bernd Husemann, Jonelle Walsh, Karl Gebhardt, Kayhan Gültekin, Jenny Greene, Ignacio Martín-Navarro, Arjen van der Wel, Aaron Dutton, Robert Singh, Alex Büdenbender, Anahi Caldu Primu, Richard Hanson, Deniss Stepanovs and Maria Elena Manjavacas. Many thanks also to Hans-Walter Rix for accepting me at MPIA, to Christian Fendt for being an excep- tional coordinator of IMPRS, and to all employees of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy for the wonderful atmosphere. Last but not least, this thesis is dedicated to my family - my father, mother, brother and ancee -, the most important people in my life and my backbone all along. There is no way to acknowledge their love, support and the sacrices they have made during all these years. They had nothing but gave everything, providing me with all opportunities to pursue my dream. This work is as much yours as it is mine. iii For my family v Contents Zusammenfassung / Abstracti Acknowledgements iii Dedication v Contents vii 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Galaxies.............................................1 1.2 Early-Type Galaxy Evolution..................................3 1.2.1 Scaling Relations And Fundamental Plane......................3 1.2.2 The Growth Of Early-Type Galaxies.........................4 1.2.3 The Merging Hypothesis...............................6 1.3 Supermassive Black Holes...................................9 1.3.1 The Black Hole Scaling Relations...........................9 1.3.2 Black Hole Demographics At High Redshift..................... 11 1.4 Dark Matter Halos....................................... 14 1.4.1 Evidence And Nature................................. 14 1.4.2 Dark Halo Structure And Properties......................... 16 1.4.3 Controversies, Diculties And Challenges..................... 17 1.5 Compact, Elliptical, High Central Velocity Dispersion Galaxies............... 20 2 MRK 1216 & NGC 1277 - An orbit-based dynamical analysis of compact, elliptical, high central velocity dispersion galaxies 25 2.1 Introduction.......................................... 26 2.2 Photometry........................................... 27 2.2.1 HST Imaging...................................... 27 2.2.2 MRK 1216........................................ 30 2.2.3 NGC 1277........................................ 32 2.3 Stellar Kinematics....................................... 33 2.3.1 PPAK.......................................... 33 2.3.2 HET........................................... 35 2.3.3 MRK 1216........................................ 35 2.3.4 NGC 1277........................................ 36 2.4 Dynamical Analysis....................................... 36 vii Contents viii 2.4.1 Schwarzschild’s Method................................ 38 2.4.2 Mass Proles...................................... 39 2.4.2.1 MRK 1216.................................. 39 2.4.2.2 NGC 1277.................................. 43 2.5 Discussion........................................... 45 2.5.1 Orbital Structure................................... 45 2.5.1.1 MRK 1216.................................. 46 2.5.1.2 NGC 1277.................................. 47 2.5.1.3 Classication And Comparison...................... 49 2.5.2 Black Hole....................................... 50 2.5.2.1 Masses................................... 50 2.5.2.2 Scaling Relations.............................. 52 2.5.3 Dark Matter Halo................................... 54 2.5.3.1 Dark Halo Detection............................ 54 2.5.3.2 Dark Halos In Elliptical Galaxies...................... 56 2.5.3.3 NFW Proles................................ 57 2.5.4 The Origin Of Compact, Elliptical, High Central Velocity Dispersion Galaxies... 57 2.6 Uncertainties.......................................... 59 2.7 Summary............................................ 64 3 The massive dark halo of the compact, early-type galaxy NGC 1281 67 3.1 Introduction.......................................... 68 3.2 Data............................................... 69 3.2.1 HST Imaging...................................... 69 3.2.2 PPAK Kinematics................................... 71 3.3 Dynamical Analysis....................................... 72 3.3.1 Schwarzschild Models................................. 72 3.3.2 Modelling Results................................... 73 3.4 Discussion........................................... 77 3.4.1 Alternative Halo Parameterisations........................