The Impact of Stellar Populations on the Dynamics of Merger Remnants

Many studies and simulations suggest gas-rich mergers do not contribute significantly to the overall star-formation rate and total mass function of galaxies. The velocity dispersions (sigma) of Luminous & Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies measured using the 1.62 or 2.29 micron CO bandheads imply they will form m < m* ellipticals. Yet, sigma's obtained with the Calcium II triplet (CaT) at 0.85 micron suggest all types of mergers will form m > m* ellipticals. Presented here are recent results, based on high-resolution imaging and multi-wavelength spectroscopy, which demonstrate the dominance of a nuclear disk of Red Supergiants (RSG) or Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars in the near-infrared bands, where dust obscuration does not sufficiently block their signatures. The presence of these stars severely biases the dynamical mass. At I-band, where dust can sufficiently block RSG or AGB stars, LIRGs populate the Fundamental Plane over a large dynamic range and are virtually indistinguishable from elliptical galaxies.