Knowing the unknowns: uncertainties in simple estimators of galactic dynamical masses
Knowing the unknowns: uncertainties in simple estimators of galactic dynamical masses
The observed stellar kinematics of dispersion-supported galaxies are often used to measure dynamical masses. Recently, several analytical relationships between the stellar line-of-sight velocity dispersion, the projected (2D) or deprojected (3D) half-light radius and the total mass enclosed within the half-light radius, relying on the spherical Jeans equation, have been proposed. …