📄 The Intrinsic Scatter of Galaxy Scaling Relations

Authors: Connor Stone, Stéphane Courteau, Nikhil Arora

arXiv: 2104.07034
Journal: The Astrophysical Journal
DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/abebe4

Galaxy scaling relations — empirical correlations between structural parameters such as size, velocity, and luminosity — constrain models of galaxy formation. We develop a Bayesian framework that rigorously separates measurement error from intrinsic scatter, finding that the genuine physical dispersion in these relations is substantially smaller than previously reported.