High Resolution Imaging of Galaxy Cores
Boksenberg, A.; Barbieri, C.; Weigelt, G.; Nota, A.; Stiavelli, M.; Crane, P.; Baxter, D.; Sparks, W. B.; Albrecht, R.; Blades, J. C.; Deharveng, J. M.; Disney, M. J.; Jakobsen, P.; Kamperman, T. M.; King, I. R.; Mackay, C. D.; Paresce, F.; Greenfield, P.; Jedrzejewski, R.; Machetto, F.
Germany, Italy, United States, France, United Kingdom, Netherlands
Abstract
Surface photometry data obtained with the Faint Object Camera of the Hubble Space Telescope in the cores of ten galaxies is presented. The major results are: (i) none of the galaxies show truly "isothermal" cores, (ii) galaxies with nuclear activity show very similar light profiles, (iii) all objects show central mass densities > 10^3^M_sun_ pc^-3^, (iv) four of the galaxies (M87, NGC 3862, NGC 4594, NGC 6251) show evidence for exceptional nuclear mass concentrations.