Stars and dark matter in the spiral gravitational lens 2237+0305

TL;DR

This study models the mass distribution of the spiral galaxy 2237+0305 using gravitational lensing, stellar kinematics, and rotation data, revealing the properties of its dark matter halo, bulge, and disc.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive mass model combining lensing and kinematic data, with new high-resolution rotation curves and velocity dispersion profiles for the galaxy.

Findings

Dark matter halo has a logarithmic inner density slope of 0.9±0.3.

Bulge mass-to-light ratio is 6.6±0.3, consistent with late-type spirals.

Halo mass is approximately 2×10^12 solar masses.

Abstract

We construct a mass model for the spiral lens galaxy 2237+0305, at redshift z_l=0.04, based on gravitational-lensing constraints, HI rotation, and new stellar-kinematic information, based on data taken with the ESI spectrograph on the 10m Keck-II Telescope. High resolution rotation curves and velocity dispersion profiles along two perpendicular directions, close to the major and minor axes of the lens galaxy, were obtained by fitting the Mgb-Fe absorption line region. The stellar rotation curve rises slowly and flattens at r~1.5" (~1.1 kpc). The velocity dispersion profile is approximately flat. A combination of photometric, kinematic and lensing information is used to construct a mass model for the four major mass components of the system -- the dark matter halo, disc, bulge, and bar. The best-fitting solution has a dark matter halo with a logarithmic inner density slope of gamma=0.9+/-0.3 for rho_DM propto r^-gamma, a bulge with M/L_B=6.6+/-0.3 Upsilon_odot, and a disc with M/L_B =1.2+/-0.3 Upsilon_odot, in agreement with measurements of late-type spirals. The bulge dominates support in the inner regions where the multiple images are located and is therefore tightly constrained by the observations. The disc is sub-maximal and contributes 45+/-11 per cent of the rotational support of the galaxy at 2.2r_d. The halo mass is (2.0+/-0.6) x 10^12 M_odot, and the stellar to virial mass ratio is 7.0+/-2.3 per cent, consistent with typical galaxies of the same mass.