STELLAR VELOCITY DISPERSION IN ARP-220 AND NGC-6240 - ELLIPTIC GALAXIES IN FORMATION

We present high-resolution (R similar to 7000) spectra of the 2.3 mu m CO absorption bandhead of two luminous merging galaxies, NGC 6240 and Arp 220, obtained with CGS4 on the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope. We have also secured subarcsecond images of NGC 6240 at 2.2 mu m usin g the Montreal Infrared Camera (MONICA) on the Canada-France-Hawaii Te lescope (CFHT). The velocity dispersion (sigma(obs) = FWHM/2.354) infe rred from the broadening of the CO bandhead in the central 2'' of the brightest nucleus of NGC 6240 is 359 +/- 21 km s(-1), which is among t he highest values ever found in the center of a galaxy. Arp 220 shows a velocity dispersion of 150 +/- 21 km s(-1). The infrared light profi le of NGC 6240 beyond a radius of 0.7'' is well fitted by an r(1/4) la w, but the overall brightness distribution is best represented by a sh allower profile such as a King (1966) profile with a core radius of 0. 20 kpc. Both Arp 220 and NGC 6240 have mass densities, velocity disper sions, and central surface brightnesses consistent with the fundamenta l parameter plane of elliptical galaxies.