Stellar Dynamical Modeling - Accuracy of 3D Density Estimation for
  Edge-on Axisymmetric Galaxies
  From Rybicki's analysis using the Fourier slice theorem, mathematically it is
possible to reproduce uniquely an edge-on axisymmetric galaxy's 3D light
distribution from its 2D surface brightness. Utilizing galaxies from a
cosmological simulation, we examine the ability of Syer and Tremaine's
made-to-measure method and Schwarzschild's method for stellar dynamical
modeling to do so for edge-on oblate axisymmetric galaxies. Overall, we find
that the methods do not accurately recover the 3D distributions, with the
made-to-measure method producing more accurate estimates than Schwarzschild's
method. Our results have implications broader than just luminosity density, and
affect other luminosity-weighted distributions within galaxies, for example,
age and metallicity.
