Multi-spin stellar velocity maps of the most massive galaxies

TL;DR

This study presents detailed stellar velocity maps of 25 massive galaxies, revealing complex kinematic structures, differences between BCGs and non-BCGs, and insights into their evolutionary histories.

Contribution

First comprehensive stellar kinematic survey of the most massive galaxies, highlighting diverse orbital structures and environmental influences.

Findings

Multiple spin reversals observed within central regions.

Fast rotators are exclusively non-BCGs and below the 3rd brightest.

Slow rotators are mainly BCGs or second/third brightest galaxies.

Abstract

(Abridged) We present stellar kinematics of the MUSE Most Massive Galaxies (M3G) Survey, comprising 25 galaxies brighter than -25.7 mag in the Ks-band and stellar mass above ~6x10^11 Msun. Galaxies are divided between the brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) and lower-ranked (in brightness) galaxies (non-BCGs) in three rich galaxy clusters within the core of the Shapley super cluster. We find several velocity maps with rich kinematic structure, including multiple spin reversals within the region encompassing central two effective radii, typically associated with BCGs. The majority of BCGs show rotation around the major-axis, at least in one of the visible velocity components. These kinematic structures are possible only if galaxies have non-axisymmetric shapes and contain several orbital families with both prograde and retrograde rotations. There are six fast rotators in the M3G sample, all among non-BCGs, and typically ranked below the 3rd brightest galaxy. Based on the properties of the h3 Gauss-Hermite moment, fast rotation can be linked to the dominance of prograde rotating short-axis tubes in the orbital distribution. Slow rotators are BCGs or the second and sometimes third brightest galaxies, indicating that the galaxy mass (brightness) is not the only driver of low spin, but that the location within the local environment also plays a role. Slow rotators, as evidenced from their multi-spin velocity maps, require more complex orbital structures. Furthermore, some BCGs show kinematic evidence for a secondary component at larger radii, likely not in equilibrium with the main galaxy and possibly made of stars accreted from other cluster galaxies. Multi-spin velocity maps, low angular momentum and additional kinematic components highlight the difference in the evolutionary histories of BCGs (including 2nd ranked galaxies) and non-BCGs.