ON THE VELOCITY-FIELDS OF ELLIPTIC GALAXIES

A family of self-consistent, maximum entropy dynamical models is presented for the triaxial "perfect ellipsoids." These models are projected in different viewing geometries, to explore the possible morphologies of the two-dimensional radial-velocity fields of elliptical galaxies. It is found that, typically, about half the time one should expect to see an "ordinary" velocity field, with a mixture of major- and minor-axis rotation. For other lines of sight, the velocity fields are more complicated, showing multiple peaks, steep gradients, strongly twisted contours, or kinematically distinct or counter-rotating cores. The origin of each of these velocity field morphologies is explained in terms of competing contributions from the major families of tube orbits.