Stellar kinematics of LEGA-C galaxies

The survey is Ks-band selected, irrespective of color or morphological type, and allows for a first assessment of the stellar dynamical structure of the general L* galaxy population at large look-back time. Using light profiles from Hubble Space Telescope imaging as a tracer, our approach corrects for observational effects (seeing convolution and slit geometry), and uses well-informed priors on inclination, anisotropy, and a non-luminous mass component.

Tabulated data include total mass estimates in a series of spherical apertures (1, 5, and 10kpc; 1x and 2x Re), as well as rotational velocities, velocity dispersions, and anisotropy. We show that almost all star-forming galaxies and ~50% of quiescent galaxies are rotation dominated, with deprojected V/{sigma}~1-2. Revealing the complexity in galaxy evolution, we find that the most massive star-forming galaxies are among the most rotation dominated, and the most massive quiescent galaxies among the least rotation-dominated galaxies.