HOT GAS IN ELLIPTICAL GALAXIES

We review recent systematic investigation of the X-ray spectra of early type galaxies by using the Einstein data base and present new results by the ROSAT observations. The Einstein data suggested that the galaxies with low X-ray to optical luminosity ratio may have another very soft component. ROSAT observations confirm its presence and call for further study to understand the nature of this very soft emission. The X-ray bright galaxies have emission temperature of ${\sim}\;0.8\;keV$ and show radial gradients in the sense that X-ray emission is softer and more absorbed in the inner region.