Browsing by Subject "galaxies: photometry"
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Item The Advanced Camera for Surveys General Catalog: Structural Parameters for Approximately Half A Million Galaxies(2012-05) Griffith, Roger L.; Cooper, Michael C.; Newman, Jeffrey A.; Moustakas, Leonidas A.; Stern, Daniel; Comerford, Julia M.; Davis, Marc; Lotz, Jennifer M.; Barden, Marco; Conselice, Christopher J.; Capak, Peter L.; Faber, S. M.; Kirkpatrick, J. Davy; Koekemoer, Anton M.; Koo, David C.; Noeske, Kai G.; Scoville, Nick; Sheth, Kartik; Shopbell, Patrick; Willmer, Christopher N. A.; Weiner, Benjamin; Comerford, Julia M.We present the Advanced Camera for Surveys General Catalog (ACS-GC), a photometric and morphological database using publicly available data obtained with the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) instrument on the Hubble Space Telescope. The goal of the ACS-GC database is to provide a large statistical sample of galaxies with reliable structural and distance measurements to probe the evolution of galaxies over a wide range of look-back times. The ACS-GC includes approximately 470,000 astronomical sources (stars + galaxies) derived from the AEGIS, COSMOS, GEMS, and GOODS surveys. Galapagos was used to construct photometric (SEXTRACTOR) and morphological (GALFIT) catalogs. The analysis assumes a single Sersic model for each object to derive quantitative structural parameters. We include publicly available redshifts from the DEEP2, COMBO-17, TKRS, PEARS, ACES, CFHTLS, and zCOSMOS surveys to supply redshifts (spectroscopic and photometric) for a considerable fraction (similar to 74%) of the imaging sample. The ACS-GC includes color postage stamps, GALFIT residual images, and photometry, structural parameters, and redshifts combined into a single catalog.Item Bulgeless Giant Galaxies Challenge Our Picture Of Galaxy Formation By Hierarchical Clustering(2010-11) Kormendy, John; Drory, Niv; Bender, Ralf; Cornell, Mike E.; Kormendy, John; Cornell, Mike E.To better understand the prevalence of bulgeless galaxies in the nearby field, we dissect giant Sc-Scd galaxies with Hubble Space Telescope (HST) photometry and Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) spectroscopy. We use the HET High Resolution Spectrograph (resolution R equivalent to lambda/FWHM similar or equal to 15,000) to measure stellar velocity dispersions in the nuclear star clusters and (pseudo) bulges of the pure-disk galaxies M 33, M 101, NGC 3338, NGC 3810, NGC 6503, and NGC 6946. The dispersions range from 20 +/- 1 km s(-1) in the nucleus of M 33 to 78 +/- 2 km s(-1) in the pseudobulge of NGC 3338. We use HST archive images to measure the brightness profiles of the nuclei and (pseudo) bulges in M 101, NGC 6503, and NGC 6946 and hence to estimate their masses. The results imply small mass-to-light ratios consistent with young stellar populations. These observations lead to two conclusions. (1) Upper limits on the masses of any supermassive black holes are M(center dot) less than or similar to (2.6 +/- 0.5) x 10(6) M(circle dot) in M 101 and M(center dot) less than or similar to (2.0 +/- 0.6) x 10(6) M(circle dot) in NGC 6503. (2) We show that the above galaxies contain only tiny pseudobulges that make up less than or similar to 3% of the stellar mass. This provides the strongest constraints to date on the lack of classical bulges in the biggest pure-disk galaxies. We inventory the galaxies in a sphere of radius 8 Mpc centered on our Galaxy to see whether giant, pure-disk galaxies are common or rare. We find that at least 11 of 19 galaxies with V(circ) > 150 km s(-1), including M 101, NGC 6946, IC 342, and our Galaxy, show no evidence for a classical bulge. Four may contain small classical bulges that contribute 5%-12% of the light of the galaxy. Only four of the 19 giant galaxies are ellipticals or have classical bulges that contribute similar to 1/3 of the galaxy light. We conclude that pure-disk galaxies are far from rare. It is hard to understand how bulgeless galaxies could form as the quiescent tail of a distribution of merger histories. Recognition of pseudobulges makes the biggest problem with cold dark matter galaxy formation more acute: How can hierarchical clustering make so many giant, pure-disk galaxies with no evidence for merger-built bulges? Finally, we emphasize that this problem is a strong function of environment: the Virgo cluster is not a puzzle, because more than 2/3 of its stellar mass is in merger remnants.Item Correlations Between Supermassive Black Holes, Velocity Dispersions, and Mass Deficits in Elliptical Galaxies with Cores(2009-02) Kormendy, John; Bender, Ralf; Kormendy, JohnHigh-dynamic-range surface photometry in a companion paper makes possible accurate measurement of the stellar light deficits L(def) and mass deficits M(def) associated with the cores of elliptical galaxies. We show that L(def) correlates with velocity dispersions sigma of the host galaxy bulge averaged outside the central region that may be affected by a supermassive black hole (BH). We confirm that L(def) correlates with BH mass M(center dot). Also, the fractional light deficit L(def)/L(*) correlates with M(center dot)/M(*), the ratio of BH mass to the galaxy stellar mass. All three correlations have scatter similar to or smaller than the scatter in the well-known correlation between M(center dot) and sigma. The new correlations are remarkable in view of the dichotomy between ellipticals with cores and those with central extra light. Core light deficit correlates closely with M(center dot) and sigma, but extra light does not. This supports the suggestion that extra light Es are made in wet mergers with starbursts whereas core Es are made in dry mergers. After dry mergers, cores are believed to be scoured by BH binaries that fling stars away as their orbits decay or by BHs that sink back to the center after recoiling from anisotropic gravitational radiation emitted when they merge. Direct evidence for these mechanisms has been elusive. We interpret the new correlations as the "smoking gun" that connects cores with BHs. Together, the M(center dot) - sigma and M(center dot) - L(def) correlations give us two independent ways to estimate BH masses in core Es.Item Demographics of Bulge Types Within 11 Mpc and Implications for Galaxy Evolution(2011-06) Fisher, David B.; Drory, Niv; Fisher, David B.We present an inventory of galaxy bulge types (elliptical galaxy, classical bulge, pseudobulge, and bulgeless galaxy) in a volume-limited sample within the local 11 Mpc sphere using Spitzer 3.6 mu m and Hubble Space Telescope data. We find that whether counting by number, star Formation rate, or stellar mass, the dominant galaxy type in the local universe has pure disk characteristics (either hosting a pseudobulge or being bulgeless). Galaxies that contain either a pseudobulge or no bulge combine to account for over 80% of the number of galaxies above a stellar mass of 10(9) M-circle dot. Classical bulges and elliptical galaxies account for similar to 1/4, and disks for similar to 3/4 of the stellar mass in the local 11 Mpc. About 2/3 of all star Formation in the local volume takes place in galaxies with pseudobulges. Looking at the fraction of galaxies with different bulge types as a function of stellarmass, we find that the frequency of classical bulges strongly increases with stellar mass, and comes to dominate above 10(10.5) M-circle dot. Galaxies with pseudobulges dominate at 10(9.5)-10(10.5) M-circle dot. Yet lower-mass galaxies are most likely to be bulgeless. If pseudobulges are not a product of mergers, then the frequency of pseudobulges in the local universe poses a challenge for galaxy evolution models.Item The HST/ACS Coma Cluster Survey. II. Data Description and Source Catalogs(2010-11) Hammer, Derek; Kleijn, Gijs Verdoes; Hoyos, Carlos; den Brok, Mark; Balcells, Marc; Ferguson, Henry C.; Goudfrooij, Paul; Carter, David; Guzman, Rafael; Peletier, Reynier F.; Smith, Russell J.; Graham, Alister W.; Trentham, Neil; Peng, Eric; Puzia, Thomas H.; Lucey, John R.; Jogee, Shardha; Aguerri, Alfonso L.; Batcheldor, Dan; Bridges, Terry J.; Chiboucas, Kristin; Davies, Jonathan I.; del Burgo, Carlos; Erwin, Peter; Hornschemeier, Ann; Hudson, Michael J.; Huxor, Avon; Jenkins, Leigh; Karick, Arna; Khosroshahi, Habib; Kourkchi, Ehsan; Komiyama, Yutaka; Lotz, Jennifer; Marzke, Ronald O.; Marinova, Irina; Matkovic, Ana; Merritt, David; Miller, Bryan W.; Miller, Neal A.; Mobasher, Bahram; Mouhcine, Mustapha; Okamura, Sadanori; Percival, Sue; Phillipps, Steven; Poggianti, Bianca M.; Price, James; Sharples, Ray M.; Tully, R. Brent; Valentijn, Edwin; Jogee, Shardha; Marinova, IrinaThe Coma cluster, Abell 1656, was the target of an HST-ACS Treasury program designed for deep imaging in the F475W and F814W passbands. Although our survey was interrupted by the ACS instrument failure in early 2007, the partially completed survey still covers similar to 50% of the core high-density region in Coma. Observations were performed for 25 fields that extend over a wide range of cluster-centric radii (similar to 1.75 Mpc or 1 degrees) with a total coverage area of 274 arcmin(2). The majority of the fields are located near the core region of Coma (19/25 pointings) with six additional fields in the southwest region of the cluster. In this paper, we present reprocessed images and SEXTRACTOR source catalogs for our survey fields, including a detailed description of the methodology used for object detection and photometry, the subtraction of bright galaxies to measure faint underlying objects, and the use of simulations to assess the photometric accuracy and completeness of our catalogs. We also use simulations to perform aperture corrections for the SEXTRACTOR Kron magnitudes based only on the measured source flux and its half-light radius. We have performed photometry for similar to 73,000 unique objects; approximately one-half of our detections are brighter than the 10 sigma point-source detection limit at F814W = 25.8 mag (AB). The slight majority of objects (60%) are unresolved or only marginally resolved by ACS. We estimate that Coma members are 5%-10% of all source detections, which consist of a large population of unresolved compact sources (primarily globular clusters but also ultra-compact dwarf galaxies) and a wide variety of extended galaxies from a cD galaxy to dwarf low surface brightness galaxies. The red sequence of Coma member galaxies has a color-magnitude relation with a constant slope and dispersion over 9 mag (-21 < M-F814W < -13). The initial data release for the HST-ACS Coma Treasury program was made available to the public in 2008 August. The images and catalogs described in this study relate to our second data release.Item Keck-I Mosfire Spectroscopy Of Compact Star-Forming Galaxies At Z Greater Than Or Similar To 2: High Velocity Dispersions In Progenitors Of Compact Quiescent Galaxies(2014-11) Barro, Guillermo; Trump, Jonathan R.; Koo, David C.; Dekel, Avishai; Kassin, Susan A.; Kocevski, Dale D.; Faber, Sandra M.; van der Wel, Arjen; Guo, Yicheng; Perez-Gonzalez, Pablo G.; Toloba, Elisa; Fang, Jerome J.; Pacifici, Camilla; Simons, Raymond; Campbell, Randy D.; Ceverino, Daniel; Finkelstein, Steven L.; Goodrich, Bob; Kassis, Marc; Koekemoer, Anton M.; Konidaris, Nicholas P.; Livermore, Rachael C.; Lyke, James E.; Mobasher, Bahram; Nayyeri, Hooshang; Peth, Michael; Primack, Joel R.; Rizzi, Luca; Somerville, Rachel S.; Wirth, Gregory D.; Zolotov, Adi; Finkelstein, Steven L.; Livermore, Rachael C.We present Keck-I MOSFIRE near-infrared spectroscopy for a sample of 13 compact star-forming galaxies (SFGs) at redshift 2 <= z <= 2.5 with star formation rates of SFR similar to 100M(circle dot)yr(-1) and masses of log( M/M-circle dot) similar to 10.8. Their high integrated gas velocity dispersions of sigma(int) = 230(-30)(+40)km s(-1), as measured from emission lines of Ha and [O III], and the resultant M-star-sigma(int) relation and M-star-M-dyn all match well to those of compact quiescent galaxies at z similar to 2, as measured from stellar absorption lines. Since log( M-star/M-dyn)= -0.06 +/- 0.2 dex, these compact SFGs appear to be dynamically relaxed and evolved, i.e., depleted in gas and dark matter (<13(-13)(+17)%), and present larger sint than their non-compact SFG counterparts at the same epoch. Without infusion of external gas, depletion timescales are short, less than similar to 300 Myr. This discovery adds another link to our new dynamical chain of evidence that compact SFGs at z greater than or similar to 2 are already losing gas to become the immediate progenitors of compact quiescent galaxies by z similar to 2.Item Ly Alpha-Emitting Galaxies At Z=2.1 In ECDF-S: Building Blocks Of Typical Present-Day Galaxies?(2010-05) Guaita, Lucia; Gawiser, Eric; Padilla, Nelson; Francke, Harold; Bond, Nicholas A.; Gronwall, Caryl; Ciardullo, Robin; Feldmeier, John J.; Sinawa, Shawn; Blanc, Guillermo A.; Virani, Shanil; Blanc, Guillermo A.We discovered a sample of 250 Ly alpha emitting (LAE) galaxies at z similar or equal to 2.1 in an ultra-deep 3727 angstrom narrow-band MUSYC image of the Extended Chandra Deep Field-South. The LAEs were selected to have rest-frame equivalent widths (EWs) > 20 angstrom and emission-line fluxes F(Ly alpha) > 2.0 x 10(-17) erg cm(-2) s(-1), after carefully subtracting the continuum contributions from narrow-band photometry. The median emission-line flux of our sample is F(Ly alpha) = 4.2 x 10(-17) erg cm(-2) s(-1), corresponding to a median Ly alpha luminosity L(Ly alpha) = 1.3 x 10(42) erg s(-1) at z similar or equal to 2.1. At this flux, our sample is >= 90% complete. Approximately 4% of the original NB-selected candidates were detected in X-rays by Chandra, and 7% were detected in the rest-frame far-UV by the Galaxy Evolution Explorer; these objects were eliminated to minimize contamination by active galactic nuclei and low-redshift galaxies. At L(Ly alpha) >= 1.3 x 10(42) erg s(-1), the EW distribution is unbiased and is represented by an exponential with scale-length 83 +/- 10 angstrom. Above this same luminosity threshold, we find a number density of 1.5 +/- 0.5 x 10(-3) Mpc(-3). Neither the number density of LAEs nor the scale-length of their EW distribution show significant evolution from z similar or equal to 3 to z similar or equal to 2. We used the rest-frame UV luminosity to estimate a median star formation rate of 4 M(circle dot) yr(-1). The median rest-frame UV slope, parameterized by the color B - R, is typical of dust-free, 0.5-1 Gyr old or moderately dusty, 300-500 Myr old population. Approximately 30% of our sample is consistent with being very young (age < 100 Myr) galaxies without dust. Approximately 40% of the sample occupies the z similar to 2 star-forming galaxy locus in the UVR two-color diagram, but the true percentage could be significantly higher taking into account photometric errors. Clustering analysis reveals that LAEs at z similar or equal to 2.1 have r(0) = 4.8 +/- 0.9 Mpc, corresponding to a bias factor b = 1.8 +/- 0.3. This implies that z similar or equal to 2.1 LAEs reside in dark matter halos with median masses log(M/M(circle dot)) = 11.5(-0.5)(+0.4), which are among the lowest mass halos yet probed at this redshift. We used the Sheth and Tormen conditional mass function to study the descendants of these LAEs and found that their typical present-day descendants are local galaxies with L* properties, like the Milky Way.Item Orbit-Based Dynamical Models Of The Sombrero Galaxy (NGC 4594)(2011-09) Jardel, John R.; Gebhardt, Karl; Shen, Juntai T.; Fisher, David B.; Kormendy, John; Kinzler, Jeffry; Lauer, Tod R.; Richstone, Douglas; Gultekin, Kayhan; Jardel, John R.; Gebhardt, Karl; Kinzler, JeffryWe present axisymmetric, orbit-based models to study the central black hole (BH), stellarmass-to-light ratio (M/L), and dark matter (DM) halo of NGC 4594 (M104, the Sombrero Galaxy). For stellar kinematics, we use published high-resolution kinematics of the central region taken with the Hubble Space Telescope, newly obtained Gemini long-slit spectra of the major axis, and integral field kinematics from the Spectroscopic Areal Unit for Research on Optical Nebulae instrument. At large radii, we use globular cluster kinematics to trace the mass profile and apply extra leverage to recovering the DM halo parameters. We find a BH of mass M-center dot = (6.6 +/- 0.4) x 10(8) M-circle dot and determine the stellar M/L-I = 3.4 +/- 0.05 (uncertainties are the 68% confidence band marginalized over the other parameters). Our best-fit DM halo is a cored logarithmic model with asymptotic circular speed V-c = 376 +/- 12 km s(-1) and core radius r(c) = 4.7 +/- 0.6 kpc. The fraction of dark to total mass contained within the half-light radius is 0.52. Taking the bulge and disk components into account in our calculation of sigma(e) puts NGC 4594 squarely on the M-sigma relation. We also determine that NGC 4594 lies directly on the M-L relation.Item A Petal Of The Sunflower: Photometry Of The Stellar Tidal Stream In The Halo Of Messier 63 (NGC 5055)(2011-11) Chonis, Taylor S.; Martinez-Delgado, David; Gabany, R. Jay; Majewski, Steven R.; Hill, Gary J.; Gralak, Ray; Trujillo, Ignacio; Hill, Gary J.We present deep surface photometry of a very faint, giant arc-loop feature in the halo of the nearby spiral galaxy NGC 5055 (M63) that is consistent with being a part of a stellar stream resulting from the disruption of a dwarf satellite galaxy. This faint feature was first detected in early photographic studies by van der Kruit; more recently, in the study of Martinez-Delgado and as presented in this work, from the loop has been realized to be the result of a recent minor merger through evidence obtained by wide-field, deep images taken with a telescope of only 0.16 m aperture. The stellar stream is clearly confirmed in additional deep images taken with the 0.5 m telescope of the BlackBird Remote Observatory and the 0.8 m telescope of the McDonald Observatory. This low surface brightness (mu(R) approximate to 26 mag arcsec(-2)) arc-like structure around the disk of the galaxy extends 14'0 (similar to 29 kpc projected) from its center, with a projected width of 1'6 (similar to 3.3 kpc). The stream's morphology is consistent with that of the visible part of a giant, >great-circle> type stellar stream originating from the recent accretion of a similar to 10(8) M-circle dot dwarf satellite in the last few Gyr. The progenitor satellite's current position and final fate are not conclusive from our data. The color of the stream's stars is consistent with dwarfs in the Local Group and is similar to the outer faint regions of M63's disk and stellar halo. From our photometric study, we detect other low surface brightness >plumes;> some of these may be extended spiral features related to the galaxy's complex spiral structure, and others may be tidal debris associated with the disruption of the galaxy's outer stellar disk as a result of the accretion event. We are able to differentiate between features related to the tidal stream and faint, blue extended features in the outskirts of the galaxy's disk previously detected by the Galaxy Evolution Explorer satellite. With its highly warped Hi gaseous disk (similar to 20 degrees), M63 represents one of the several examples of an isolated spiral galaxy with a warped disk showing recently discovered strong evidence of an ongoing minor merger.Item A Public, K-Selected, Optical-to-Near-Infrared Catalog of the Extended Chandra Deep Field South (ECDFS) from the Multiwavelength Survey by Yale-Chile (MUSYC)(2009-08) Taylor, Edward N.; Franx, Marijn; van Dokkum, Pieter G.; Quadri, Ryan F.; Gawiser, Eric; Bell, Eric F.; Barrientos, L. Felipe; Blanc, Guillermo A.; Castander, Francisco J.; Damen, Maaike; Gonzalez-Perez, Violeta; Hall, Patrick B.; Herrera, David; Hildebrandt, Hendrik; Kriek, Mariska; Labbe, Ivo; Lira, Paulina; Maza, Jose; Rudnick, Gregory; Treister, Ezequiel; Urry, C. Megan; Willis, Jon P.; Wuyts, Stijn; Blanc, Guillermo A.We present a new, K-selected, optical-to-near infrared photometric catalog of the Extended Chandra Deep Field South (ECDFS), making it publicly available to the astronomical community.(22) The data set is founded on publicly available imaging, supplemented by original z' JK imaging data collected as part of the MUltiwavelength Survey by Yale-Chile (MUSYC). The final photometric catalog consists of photometry derived from U U (38) BVRIz' JK imaging covering the full 1/2 x 1/2 square degrees. of the ECDFS, plus H-band photometry for approximately 80% of the field. The 5 sigma flux limit for point sources is K(tot)((AB)) = 22.0. This is also the nominal completeness and reliability limit of the catalog: the empirical completeness for 21.75 < K < 22.00 is greater than or similar to 85%. We have verified the quality of the catalog through both internal consistency checks, and comparisons to other existing and publicly available catalogs. As well as the photometric catalog, we also present catalogs of photometric redshifts and rest-frame photometry derived from the 10-band photometry. We have collected robust spectroscopic redshift determinations from published sources for 1966 galaxies in the catalog. Based on these sources, we have achieved a (1 sigma) photometric redshift accuracy of Delta z/(1 + z) = 0.036, with an outlier fraction of 7.8%. Most of these outliers are X-ray sources. Finally, we describe and release a utility for interpolating rest-frame photometry from observed spectral energy distributions, dubbed InterRest.(23)Item A Revised Parallel-Sequence Morphological Classification of Galaxies: Structure and Formation of S0 and Spheroidal Galaxies(2012-01) Kormendy, John; Bender, Ralf; Kormendy, JohnWe update van den Bergh's parallel-sequence galaxy classification in which S0 galaxies form a sequence S0a-S0b-S0c that parallels the sequence Sa-Sb-Sc of spiral galaxies. The ratio B/T of bulge-to-total light defines the position of a galaxy in this tuning-fork diagram. Our classification makes one major improvement. We extend the S0a-S0b-S0c sequence to spheroidal ("Sph") galaxies that are positioned in parallel to irregular galaxies in a similarly extended Sa-Sb-Sc-Im sequence. This provides a natural "home" for spheroidals, which previously were omitted from galaxy classification schemes or inappropriately combined with ellipticals. To motivate our juxtaposition of Sph and Im galaxies, we present photometry and bulge-disk decompositions of four rare, late-type S0s that bridge the gap between the more common S0b and Sph galaxies. NGC 4762 is an edge-on SB0bc galaxy with a very small classical-bulge-to-total ratio of B/T = 0.13 +/- 0.02. NGC 4452 is an edge-on SB0 galaxy with an even tinier pseudobulge-to-total ratio of PB/T = 0.017 +/- 0.004. It is therefore an SB0c. VCC 2048, whose published classification is S0, contains an edge-on disk, but its "bulge" plots in the structural parameter sequence of spheroidals. It is therefore a disky Sph. And NGC 4638 is similarly a "missing link" between S0s and Sphs-it has a tiny bulge and an edge-on disk embedded in an Sph halo. In the Appendix, we present photometry and bulge-disk decompositions of all Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys Virgo Cluster Survey S0s that do not have published decompositions. We use these data to update the structural parameter correlations of Sph, S + Im, and E galaxies. We show that Sph galaxies of increasing luminosity form a continuous sequence with the disks (but not bulges) of S0c-S0b-S0a galaxies. Remarkably, the Sph-S0-disk sequence is almost identical to that of Im galaxies and spiral galaxy disks. We review published observations for galaxy transFormation processes, particularly ram-pressure stripping of cold gas. We suggest that Sph galaxies are transformed, "red and dead" Scd-Im galaxies in the same way that many S0 galaxies are transformed, red and dead Sa-Sc spiral galaxies.Item Structure and Formation of Elliptical and Spheroidal Galaxies(2009-05) Kormendy, John; Fisher, David B.; Cornell, Mark E.; Bender, Ralf; Kormendy, John; Fisher, David B.; Cornell, Mark E.; Bender, RalfNew surface photometry of all known elliptical galaxies in the Virgo cluster is combined with published data to derive composite profiles of brightness, ellipticity, position angle, isophote shape, and color over large radius ranges. These provide enough leverage to show that Sersic log I alpha r(1/n) functions fit the brightness profiles I(r) of nearly all ellipticals remarkably well over large dynamic ranges. Therefore, we can confidently identify departures from these profiles that are diagnostic of galaxy Formation. Two kinds of departures are seen at small radii. All 10 of our ellipticals with total absolute magnitudes M(VT) <= -21.66 have cuspy cores-"missing light"-at small radii. Cores are well known and naturally scoured by binary black holes (BHs) formed in dissipationless ("dry") mergers. All 17 ellipticals with -21.54 <= M(VT) <= -15.53 do not have cores. We find a new distinct component in these galaxies: all coreless ellipticals in our sample have extra light at the center above the inward extrapolation of the outer Sersic profile. In large ellipticals, the excess light is spatially resolved and resembles the central components predicted in numerical simulations of mergers of galaxies that contain gas. In the simulations, the gas dissipates, falls toward the center, undergoes a starburst, and builds a compact stellar component that, as in our observations, is distinct from the Sersic-function main body of the elliptical. But ellipticals with extra light also contain supermassive BHs. We suggest that the starburst has swamped core scouring by binary BHs. That is, we interpret extra light components as a signature of Formation in dissipative ("wet") mergers. Besides extra light, we find three new aspects to the ("E-E") dichotomy into two types of elliptical galaxies. Core galaxies are known to be slowly rotating, to have relatively anisotropic velocity distributions, and to have boxy isophotes. We show that they have Sersic indices n > 4 uncorrelated with M(VT). They also are alpha-element enhanced, implying short star-Formation timescales. And their stellar populations have a variety of ages but mostly are very old. Extra light ellipticals generally rotate rapidly, are more isotropic than core Es, and have disky isophotes. We show that they have n similar or equal to 3 +/- 1 almost uncorrelated with MVT and younger and less alpha-enhanced stellar populations. These are new clues to galaxy Formation. We suggest that extra light ellipticals got their low Sersic indices by forming in relatively few binary mergers, whereas giant ellipticals have n > 4 because they formed in larger numbers of mergers of more galaxies at once plus later heating during hierarchical clustering. We confirm that core Es contain X-ray-emitting gas whereas extra light Es generally do not. This leads us to suggest why the E-E dichotomy arose. If energy feedback from active galactic nuclei (AGNs) requires a "working surface" of hot gas, then this is present in core galaxies but absent in extra light galaxies. We suggest that AGN energy feedback is a strong function of galaxy mass: it is weak enough in small Es not to prevent merger starbursts but strong enough in giant Es and their progenitors to make dry mergers dry and to protect old stellar populations from late star Formation. Finally, we verify that there is a strong dichotomy between elliptical and spheroidal galaxies. Their properties are consistent with our understanding of their different Formation processes: mergers for ellipticals and conversion of late-type galaxies into spheroidals by environmental effects and by energy feedback from supernovae. In an appendix, we develop machinery to get realistic error estimates for Sersic parameters even when they are strongly coupled. And we discuss photometric dynamic ranges necessary to get robust results from Sersic fits.