Program: GS-2013A-Q-51

The nature of dark matter is one of the deepest mysteries in modern astrophysics. The cold dark matter paradigm has it successes in cosmology,but faces challenges on the galaxy scale. Alternative concepts like Modified Newtonian Dynamics have their successes in modelling disk rotation curves and explaining the tight baryonic Tully-Fisher relation. Isolated elliptical galaxies, not being exposed to external fields and in their majority late mergers, are key objects in this respect. Simulations predict individually different halo properties. Finding one isolated elliptical with a circular velocity definitely higher than predicted by MOND would put the entire concept in jeopardy. Here we propose to investigate the isolated ellipticals NGC 3962 and NGC 5812 using globular clusters and the technique of ultradeep mask spectroscopy.