Elliptical galaxies and globular clusters (GCs) have traditionally been regarded as physically distinct entities due to their discontinuous distribution in key scaling diagrams involving size, luminosity and velocity dispersion. Recently this distinctness has been challenged by the discovery of stellar systems with mass intermediate between those of GCs and dwarf ellipticals (such as ultracompact dwarfs and dwarf galaxy transition objects). Here we examine the relationship between the virial and stellar mass for a range of old stellar systems, from GCs to giant ellipticals, and including such intermediate-mass objects (IMOs). Improvements on previous work in this area include the use of (i) near-infrared magnitudes from the Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS), (ii) aperture corrections to velocity dispersions, (iii) homogeneous half-light radii and (iv) accounting for the effects of non-homology in galaxies.

Cone search capability for table J/MNRAS/389/1924/table1 (Milky Way and M31 globular clusters)

Cone search capability for table J/MNRAS/389/1924/table2 (Intermediate mass objects and dwarf galaxies)

Cone search capability for table J/MNRAS/389/1924/table3 (Elliptical galaxies)