3 Results

The figures in Appendix A and Table 3 (available in electronic form) present the RCs and VDPs. The major-axis PA points from left to right in the figures, that is, the right hand side in the plots corresponds to the easterly half of the galaxies major-axis. In addition, in Table 2 we list the values of the CVD and of the maximum observed rotation velocity $V_{\rm max}$.

  

Table 2: Summary of the kinematical properties

The major kinematical features of each galaxy are outlined in the following. The term "kinematically distinct'' is used in the present section in a descriptive sense only, without attaching to it any particular interpretation (see Sect. 5). By "inner (or central) $x\hbox{$^{\prime\prime}$}$", we refer to a radius (not a diameter).

NGC 1336

The VDP dips $\sim$5 km s^-1 over the central 2$\hbox{$^{\prime\prime}$}$ and contains additional oscillations at larger radii, having amplitudes of 10 km s^-1. Smoothing these out, the VDP shows negligible signs of decreasing until a radius of 18$\hbox{$^{\prime\prime}$}$, remaining roughly flat at $\sim$100 km s^-1. The RC is symmetric, being approximately flat over the inner $\sim$5$\hbox{$^{\prime\prime}$}$, where a strong isophotal twist is known to take place (up to 60$^{\circ}$; Caon et al. 1994). Beyond this radius, the RC displays a wave-like appearance about a zero mean rotational velocity, with an amplitude of 20 km s^-1. Such kinematics is indicative of the presence of a bar (Sparke & Sellwood 1987; Bettoni 1989, and references therein). Concerning this point, it is also worth noting that the normalized Fourier coefficient a₄ is high over the inner 10$\hbox{$^{\prime\prime}$}$ (Caon et al. 1994).

NGC 1339

The RC is well traced out to 2 $R_{\rm e}$, having a steep gradient of 200 km s^-1 kpc^-1 (assuming a distance of 18 Mpc) over the inner 5$\hbox{$^{\prime\prime}$}$ radius. The E and W side of the RC largely flatten out after 10$\hbox{$^{\prime\prime}$}$. The VDP decreases linearly from 175 km s^-1 to 100 km s^-1 at 10$\hbox{$^{\prime\prime}$}$ on both sides. After 20$\hbox{$^{\prime\prime}$}$, both sides of the VDP increase some 50 km s^-1, reaching the outer data point (30$\hbox{$^{\prime\prime}$}$).

FCC 119

Catalogued as a S0 galaxy by Ferguson (1989), we only provide the central velocity dispersion $\sigma_0=51\ \pm\ 10$ km s^-1 and maximum observed rotational velocity $V_{\rm max}=27\ \pm\ 19$ km s^-1 for this galaxy, the faintest of our sample.

FCC 136

This faint galaxy is classified as dE2 by Ferguson (1989) and as SAB0 in RC3. The VDP is poorly defined around 40 km s^-1, close to our measurement limit. There is marginal evidence for rotation within the wavy RC, which increases to 15 km s^-1 by the outer data points (15$\hbox{$^{\prime\prime}$}$). The shape of the RC, together with the fact that the inner isophotes (<4$\hbox{$^{\prime\prime}$}$) twist through 30$^{\circ}$, while the normalized Fourier coefficient a₄ is high (Caon et al. 1994) supports the RC3 classification as a barred galaxy.

NGC 1373

The symmetric RC reveals a small degree of rotation, peaking at 15 km s^-1. The inner 10-15$\hbox{$^{\prime\prime}$}$ of the VDP has a wave-like appearance, with a 5 km s^-1 wave amplitude producing no obvious, and several local, maxima around 80 km s^-1. The VDP is asymmetric: the E side is flat out to 14$\hbox{$^{\prime\prime}$}$ from the center and then decreases to $\sim$30 km s^-1 at 20$\hbox{$^{\prime\prime}$}$, while the W side slowly decreases starting from 6$\hbox{$^{\prime\prime}$}$, to reach a minimum of 40 km s^-1 at 24$\hbox{$^{\prime\prime}$}$.

The overall shape of the VDP and the presence of strong isophotal twisting (Caon et al. 1994) are, in this case, also indicative of the presence of a bar.

NGC 1374

The inner gradient of the rotation velocity is very steep (250 km s^-1 kpc^-1). After reaching a first maximum at 2$\hbox{$^{\prime\prime}$}$ from the center, the RC remains approximately flat on both sides, until reaching a second maximum at 30-35$\hbox{$^{\prime\prime}$}$. The asymmetries of the RC correspond to the analogous behavior of the VDP which, after an initial strong gradient, and after reaching a plateau of 145 km s^-1 at 7-10$\hbox{$^{\prime\prime}$}$, shows different slopes on the two sides. The VDP is approximately flat, at 120 km s^-1, on the E side in the range 15-35$\hbox{$^{\prime\prime}$}$ before dropping to a minimum of 70 km s^-1 at the same position (35$\hbox{$^{\prime\prime}$}$) of the maximum of the RC. However, the W side of the VDP shows evidence for increasing over the radial range corresponding to the second rise in the W side of the RC.

NGC 1379

The kinematics of this galaxy, although rather symmetric in its overall appearance, presents a number of remarkable small-scale asymmetries. The series of minima and maxima in both the RC and the VDP are clearly anti-correlated, the maxima of the VDP corresponding to minima in the RC and vice-versa. There is evidence for a small (5$\hbox{$^{\prime\prime}$}$) inner disk, coming from the steepest part of the RC, clearly connected to the inflexion in both sides of the VDP at this radius. There is also marginal evidence for a central distinct component corresponding to the inflexion of the RC.

NGC 1399

This is the largest Fornax galaxy, at the center of the cluster. Its dominant status is confirmed by its large velocity dispersion (notice however that the peak value of $\sigma$ is underestimated by our data because of the relatively poor seeing, see Sect. 4). The VDP quickly declines to 250 km s^-1 by a radius of 10$\hbox{$^{\prime\prime}$}$, to remain approximately flat to the outer data points. The RC presents strong evidence for a kinematically distinct inner component, with an inflexion point evident over the central 4$\hbox{$^{\prime\prime}$}$. The W side of the RC reaches a maximum value of 30 km s^-1 at 15$\hbox{$^{\prime\prime}$}$, where it then steadily falls to zero by 55$\hbox{$^{\prime\prime}$}$.It then changes sign, increases to 10 km s^-1 at 60$\hbox{$^{\prime\prime}$}$ and then decreases again. The wiggles of the RC in the range 40-70$\hbox{$^{\prime\prime}$}$ are associated to wiggles in the VDP in the same range and with the same amplitude. The E side of the RC appears identical to the W side until reaching 30$\hbox{$^{\prime\prime}$}$ where it increases to 50 km s^-1 to then stagger back down to a rotational speed of 20 km s^-1 at the outer data point. The E side of the VDP resembles the W side until at 55$\hbox{$^{\prime\prime}$}$ where it decreases by 40 km s^-1 over the following 5$\hbox{$^{\prime\prime}$}$ and then starts climbing, still increasing at the outer data point.

NGC 1404

The RC has a steep gradient of 200 km s^-1 kpc^-1 inside 10'', with the exception of the two inner arcseconds, where the RC remarkably flattens. At $r \sim 10$'' and $r\sim 22$'' there are two local maxima around $V\sim 100$ km s^-1, which are symmetric with respect to the center. The rotation velocity starts increasing again beyond r=30'', reaching $\sim 140$ km s^-1 at the last observed point: the RC seems actually to be increasing even beyond 3 effective radii.

In the central region the VDP dips by 15 km s^-1 from the two local maxima situated at $\pm 2''$ from the center. The velocity dispersion then decreases at a nearly constant rate in the inner 20'', until reaching a plateau around 200 km s^-1. In the range from 40'' to 50'' the VDP decreases before increasing to a local maximum of 180 km s^-1 around 1 arcmin from the center.

NGC 1419

This galaxy has a very similar RC to NGC 1336, with $\sim$15 km s^-1 wiggles observed out to 2 $R_{\rm e}$. The VDP is largely flat (at $\sim$120 km s^-1) over the inner 9$\hbox{$^{\prime\prime}$}$(= 1 $R_{\rm e}$), then it steadily decreases to $\sim$70 km s^-1 reaching the outer radius limit of the data. Like NGC 1336, this galaxy also has a very strong isophotal twist ($\sim$100$^{\circ}$) over the inner region, where the RC is observed to remain flat. Also in this case we thus find evidence for a possible bar-like structure.

NGC 1427

This galaxy has a wiggly VDP which peaks around 180 km s^-1 and falls to 140 km s^-1 at the data boundary. The CVD is $\sim$13 km s^-1 below the peak value which occurs 4$\hbox{$^{\prime\prime}$}$ W from the center. The RC, after reaching a first maximum of $\sim$25 km s^-1 at 5$\hbox{$^{\prime\prime}$}$,shows a series of secondary maxima on both sides, that are anti-correlated to the wiggles in the VDP. There is also marginal evidence for an inflexion in the center which, if real, and if related to the dip in the VDP could constitute kinematical evidence for the central faint disk detected by Carollo et al. (1997, see also Forbes et al. 1995).

NGC 1428

The presence of a star superimposed on the nucleus of this galaxy prevents one from obtaining kinematical data in the central 4$\hbox{$^{\prime\prime}$}$. In the observable region, the rotation velocity steadily increases, reaching $\sim$70 km s^-1 at 2.7 $a_{\rm e}$ on both sides. Small amplitude waves are present around 15'' from the center in both the RC and the VDP. A general, though weak, asymmetry is observed in both profiles: on the E side the velocity dispersion is lower and the rotation velocity is higher than on the W side. The increase of the VDP beyond 20'' in the E side is, on the other hand, not real, as can be inferred from the large uncertainties.

FCC 335

This is a faint galaxy, with a roughly flat VDP of 40 km s^-1, close to the lower limit of our measurements. There is marginal evidence for an increase on the W side of the VDP of $\sim$10 km s^-1 around 13$\hbox{$^{\prime\prime}$}$. This is associated with a decrease of the RC by 15 km s^-1 over the same interval. The RC itself peaks at a maximum rotational velocity of $\sim$25 km s^-1 at 10$\hbox{$^{\prime\prime}$}$ = 0.5 $R_{\rm e}$, where the W side then decreases its rotation and the E side remains flat to the boundary of our data.

The following quantities are listed for each galaxy: heliocentric velocity (Col. 2); central velocity dispersion (Col. 3); maximum observed rotation velocity (Col. 4); radial range of the kinematical data in arcseconds and in units of $a_{\rm e}$ (Cols. 5 and 6 respectively), except for the S0 galaxy FCC 199 (see text); central velocity dispersion from D95 and the "corrected'' value (those without error, see text). The last column gives the "rotation parameter'' $\log (\frac{V}{\sigma})^*$which measures the relevance of the rotational support (notice that this value is virtually infinite for NGC 1419, for which $\epsilon_{\rm e}=0.00$(Caon et al. 1994)). For NGC 1428, $V_{\rm hel}$ has been derived by interpolation of the RC in the central region. For FCC 119 $V_{\rm max}$ is an upper limit.