Core density profile survival in dissipationless mergers

We use N-body experiments to study the survival of power-law density cusps in mergers of spherical galaxy models. Steep cusps (e.g. rho proportional t o r(-2)) are preserved during mergers of equal-mass models; this may be vie wed as a general consequence of the incomplete violent relaxation observed in such mergers. Progenitor profile has a strong effect on remnant shape; s teep cusps produce oblate remnants. If bright ellipticals form by hierarchi cal mergers of faint ones, the lack of steep cusps in these galaxies is som ewhat surprising.