Universe Colloquium: Stellar dynamical modelling of elliptical galaxies

by Fabrizio Finozzi (MPE)

Wednesday 16 Dec 2015, 16:30 → 17:30 Europe/Berlin

seminar room (Excellence Cluster Universe, Boltzmannstrasse 2, Garching)

Stellar dynamical modelling is an important tool for uncovering the properties of galaxies and studying their otherwise invisible components, as the Super Massive Black Holes (SMBH) in their cores and dark matter. Nowadays, the vast majority of the available modelling codes assume axial symmetry. However, in observations, it is possible to find signs of non-axisymmetry, as isophotal twists and kinematic misalignment in slowly rotating massive ellipticals. Whenever axisymmetric codes are applied to intrinsically non-axisymmetric systems, they provide uncertain results in terms of the accuracy in SMBH mass estimates, orbital structure and Mass-to-Light ratio. Fabrizio aims at tackling these inconsistencies by developing a new triaxial implementation of the orbit based Schwarzschild's method. After an introduction on the importance of stellar dynamical modelling, Fabrizio will describe the modifications he carried out on the axisymmetric implementation by Thomas J. et at (2004) of the orbit based Schwarzschild's method and present the initial results of his project. The Universe Colloquium is followed by a social gathering with wine and cheese.