The MASSIVE Survey. VI. The Spatial Distribution and Kinematics of Warm Ionized Gas in the Most Massive Local Early-type Galaxies

摘要: We present the first systematic investigation of existence, spatial distribution, and kinematics warm ionized gas as traced by [O ii] 3727 A emission line in 74 most massive galaxies local universe. All our have deep integral-field spectroscopy from volume- magnitude-limited MASSIVE survey early-type with stellar mass $\mathrm{log}({M}_{* }/{M}_{\odot })\gt 11.5$ (M K < −25.3 mag) distance D 108 Mpc. Of sample, we detect 28, which yields a global detection fraction 38 ± 6% down to typical equivalent width limit 2 A. fast rotators are more likely than slow fractions 80 10% 28 6%, respectively. The extents span wide range radii (0.6–18.2 kpc; 0.1–4R e ), morphologies diverse, 17/28 ≈ 61 9% being centrally concentrated, 8/28 29 exhibiting clear rotation out several kiloparsecs, 3/28 11 extended but patchy. Three four show kinematic alignment between stars gas, whereas two robust measurements available exhibit misalignment. Our inferred masses roughly ~105 M ⊙. ratios radial profiles generally consistent excitation old underlying population. explore different origin scenarios for find that variety physical processes at play, including internal recycling, cooling hot gaseous halo, acquired via mergers.