MEASURING STELLAR KINEMATICS IN GALAXIES WITH THE NEAR-INFRARED (2-0)(CO)-C-12 ABSORPTION BANDHEAD

The shape and strength of the near-infrared (2-0) (CO)-C-12 absorption bandhead provide astronomers with a unique tool for measuring stellar kinematics in galaxies with strong dust obscuration. However, the asy mmetric shape of the bandhead introduces complexities when extracting the kinematics from an observed spectrum. This paper discusses the ben efits, drawbacks, and observational constraints associated with using this bandhead to measure kinematics in galaxies, focusing on applicati ons in high spectral-resolution data. Additionally, we discuss techniq ues found useful for extracting the kinematics from the absorption fea ture, and outline our success with two different methods.