Optical and near-IR imaging of dusty ellipticals

Abstract

In this paper we present some of the results of imaging observations of dusty ellipticals in the optical B & R bands as well as in near IR K'-band taken at the Las Campanas Observatory, Chile. We derive radial profiles of surface brightness, position angle, ellipticity as well as profiles of higher order Fourier coefficients by fitting ellipses to isophotes for each band. As the effect of dust obscuration is very much reduced in the near-IR, a comparison of isophotal profiles in the K'-band with those of optical bands permits us to analyze the effects of dust extinction in the dusty ellipticals. We examine optical & optical-IR color maps, color profiles, color gradients and discuss the results.