The dark and visible matter content of low surface brightness disc galaxies

Abstract

We present mass models of a sample of 19 low surface brightness (LSB) galaxies and compare the properties of their constituent mass components with those of a sample of high surface brightness (HSB) galaxies. We find that LSB galaxies are dark matter dominated. Their halo parameters are only slightly affected by assumptions on stellar mass-to-light ratios. Comparing LSB and HSB galaxies we find that mass models derived using the maximum disc hypothesis result in the discs of LSB galaxies having systematically higher stellar mass-to-light ratios than HSB galaxies of similar rotation velocity. This is inconsistent with all other available evidence on the evolution of LSB galaxies. We argue therefore that the maximum disc hypothesis does not provide a representative description of the LSB galaxies and their evolution. Mass models with stellar mass-to-light ratios determined by the colours and stellar velocity dispersions of galactic discs imply that LSB galaxies have dark matter haloes that are more extended and less dense than those of HSB galaxies. Surface brightness is thus related to the halo properties. LSB galaxies are slowly evolving, low-density and dark matter dominated galaxies. © 1997 RAS.