Constraining the Total Mass Profiles of Nearby Elliptical Galaxie

We use velocity dispersion data to constrain the total mass distributions of 20 nearby elliptical galaxies observed in the MASSIVE survey out to Rmax/Reff > 1.5. Using the Jeans equation, we find that the total mass profiles of these galaxies obey a radial power law: M(r) = A r^k, for large ranges of the velocity anisotropy, b, and the scale length, a, of the baryon mass distribution. We go on to show precisely how A and k depend on b and a, as well as on directly observed parameters, like the effective radius.