Spectra of shell ellipticals: redshifts, velocity dispersions and evidence for recent nuclear star formation

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Abstract
Nuclear spectra have been obtained for 100 of the 137 galaxies in the Malin & Carter catalogue. The objects were selected purely on the grounds of position on the sky. Redshifts are presented for all, and velocity dispersions for most of these systems. Many of these galaxies have spectra atypical of elliptical or lenticular galaxies. A-type stars, suggestive of recent star formation in the galactic nucleus, are probably required in 15 to 20 per cent, and 25 per cent have emission lines. About 10 per cent have colours, absolute magnitudes and spectra similar to the post-starburst galaxies in high redshift clusters. Assuming bursts of star formation have been triggered in the shell galaxies by merger events which also created the shells, we hypothesize that the more distant post-starburst galaxies may have also undergone merger or accretion events.

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