Surface photometry of Virgo ellipticals

These provide enough leverage to show that Sersic logI{prop.to}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.

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.