Abstract details

Long-slit spectra have been obtained with the Keck telescope for a sample of 11 early-type galaxies covering a range in luminosity. Rotation velocity and velocity dispersions, together with 20 Lick line-strength gradients have been measured to, at least, one effective radius. We transform line-strength gradients into age, metallicity and $\alpha$/Fe abundances. Galaxies show very shallow age gradients, strong metallicity gradients, and both, positive and negative $\alpha$/Fe gradients which cannot be explained with simple outside-in scenarios of galaxy formation. We explore the correlation of the gradients with other global parameters of the galaxies finding different behaviour for the two families of galaxies, luminous (boxy, core inner profile) and less luminous (disky, cuspy inner profile) galaxies. We propose different scenarios to explain the correlations.