Abstract Using a sample of ∼126,000 late-type galaxies (LTGs) from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, we analyzed stellar mass as a function of the dynamical mass. Stellar masses are estimated using eight stellar population synthesis (SPS) models with constant initial mass functions (IMFs), while dynamical masses are derived from seven formulations based on Newtonian dynamics and virial equilibrium, incorporating both stellar and gas velocity dispersions. We account for key factors affecting dynamical mass estimation, including the inclination, colour, concentration, and Sérsic index. We find that the difference between dynamical and stellar mass ( Δ log M ) ranges from nearly zero to ∼95% of the dynamical mass, depending on mass and redshift. Δ log M appears to decrease with increasing redshift, but exhibits a saddlelike shape at low mass and low redshift—especially in disk-dominated LTGs—transitioning into a steep, linear trend at higher masses and redshifts. In the high-mass regime, the behavior resembles that of early-type galaxies. Moreover, our results indicate that this evolution is not discrete but follows a continuous transition between morphological regimes. Dark matter within LTGs is at most equal to Δ log M , depending on the impact of the IMF and SPS on stellar mass estimation. Although SPS-based stellar masses do not include the gas component, previous studies have shown that galaxies with log( M Stellar / M Solar ) > 10 at z ≤ 0.3 are predominantly stellar-mass dominated. Most galaxies in our sample fall within this regime, minimizing the impact of gas exclusion. Our findings go beyond the scope of individual galaxies, providing insight into the nearby Universe and highlighting the role of dark matter in determining galaxies’ structure and evolution.
Nigoche-Netro et al. (Wed,) studied this question.