Groups of Galaxies and the Missing Mass Problem

Extract

The existence of a massive dark component to the matter distribution of galaxies (the ‘missing mass’) is inferred from the now overwhelming evidence for flat rotation curves in galaxies. However observational data on the linear extent of such a dark component and its total mass contribution is usually restricted by the limited radial distance to which rotation curves of individual galaxies can be measured (typically < 100 kpc). The magnitude of the mass contained within a larger radius around a galaxy can in principal be inferred by studying the kinematics of small groups of galaxies and making assumptions about their dynamical stability (see Faber and Gallagher, 1979, for review). However, one of the major difficulties in such studies is the question of group membership. The inclusion of disrelated foreground or background galaxies into a dynamical calculation of mass obtained for example via the Virial Theorem, can lead to spurious results. The effects of varying membership criteria on the dynamical properties of groups is well illustrated by the work of Huchra and Geller (1982).