Large stellar disks in small elliptical galaxies

We present the rotation velocities V and velocity dispersions σ along the principal axes of seven elliptical galaxies less luminous than MB = −19.5. These kinematics extend beyond the half-light radii for all systems in this photometrically selected sample. At large radii the kinematics not only confirm that rotation and “diskiness” are important in faint ellipticals, as was previously known, but also demonstrate that in most sample galaxies the stars at large galactocentric distances have (V/σ)max ∼ 2, similar to the disks in bona-fide S0 galaxies. Comparing this high degree of ordered stellar motion in all sample galaxies with numerical simulations of dissipationless mergers argues against mergers with mass ratios ≤ 3 : 1 as an important mechanism in the final shaping of low-luminosity ellipticals, and favors instead the dissipative formation of a disk. subject headings: galaxies: formation galaxies: evolution galaxies: structure galaxies: elliptical and lenticular galaxies: kinematics and dynamics