Structural evolution in elliptical galaxies: the age-shape relation

Abstract

We test the hypothesis that the apparent axis ratio of an elliptical galaxy is correlated with the age of its stellar population. We find that old ellipticals (with estimated stellar ages t > 7.5 Gyr) are rounder on average than younger ellipticals. The statistical significance of this shape difference is greatest at small radii; a Kolmogorov-Smirnov test comparing the axis ratios of the two populations at R = Re/16 yields a statistical significance greater than 99.96 percent. The relation between age and apparent axis ratio is linked to the core/powerlaw surface brightness profile dichotomy. Core ellipticals have older stellar populations, on average, than powerlaw ellipticals and are rounder in their inner regions. Our results are consistent with a scenario in which powerlaw ellipticals are formed in gas-rich mergers while core ellipticals form in dissipationless mergers, with cores formed and maintained by the influence of a binary black hole.