Obtaining Galaxy Masses Using Stellar Absorption and [O II] Emission-Line Diagnostics in Late-Type Galaxies

Abstract

The [O II] lambda3727 emission lines and absorption features from stellar Balmer and Ca H&K lines are the most accessible kinematic diagnotics in galaxies at z~1. We investigate the kinematics of 22 local late-type galaxies using these spectral features and we compare the results to 21-cm neutral hydrogen spectra in order to assess the utility of each diagnostic for measuring galaxy masses. In order to simulate data at high redshift where only 1-dimensional velocity profiles are normally available, we study spatially integrated as well as spatially-resolved spectra. Although the studied galaxies span a wide range of morphological types, inclinations, and star formation rates, we find that the gaseous and stellar kinematic tracers yield comparable kinematic line widths and systemic velocities. The [O II] and H I line widths correlate most strongly, showing an intrinsic dispersion of ~20 km/s, or ~10% for a typical galaxy with a kinematic width of 200 km/s. In a few extreme cases, the [O II] line widths underestimate the neutral hydrogen width by 50%. Reliable velocity widths can also be obtained from the stellar Balmer and Ca H&K absorption lines, even for some of the very late-type galaxies which have strong emission lines. The intrinsic dispersion is <10% between the stellar absorption and H I line widths. We provide a prescription for using these strong stellar absorption and [O II] emission features to measure the kinematics, and thus masses, of galaxies in the distant universe.