ON THE INTRINSIC SHAPE OF ELLIPTIC GALAXIES

We present a method to constrain the intrinsic axial ratios, viewing a ngles and intrinsic kinematic misalignment (the angle between the angu lar momentum and the shortest axis) of triaxial elliptical galaxies. T he method is based on the hypothesis that the isodensity contours of a galaxy can be represented as similar triaxial ellipsoids, and assumes intrinsic stellar velocity fields similar to model III in Franx et al . (1991). The knowledge of the photometric and kinematic properties of the stellar component and the gas morphology is required. The structu re of three elliptical galaxies, NGC 5989 (E0), NGC 1947 (E1), and NGC 1052 (E3), is analysed and permitted regions for intrinsic axial rati os and viewing angles are obtained. It is found that in two of the cas es the kinematical misalignment is small or absent.