Michele Cappellari

Abstract:

ATLAS^3D is a multi-wavelength, volume-limited survey of 263 morphologicallyselected early-type galaxies within a distance of 42 Mpc and complete to MK ≤ -21.5. Here we present the ATLAS^3D project and our first results on the stellar populations of galaxies in the ATLAS^3Dsample based on SAURON integral-field spectroscopy. We show relations between integrated line-strength indices and stellar velocity dispersion o in the range 55 ≤ Σ(km/s) ≤ 350. We derive simple-stellar-population-equivalent age, metallicity and α/Fe abundance ratio and discuss their relation to stellar velocity dispersion, environment and galaxy internal kinematics. These preliminary results indicate that slow rotators tend to be older and have less variation in age than fast rotators. We also find that galaxies in lower density environments are on average younger than those in denser environments, as found by other authors. © 2009 American Institute of Physics.