1.65-mu m (H -band) surface photometry of galaxies - VIII. The near-IR kappa space at z=0

We present the distribution of a statistical sample of nearby galaxies in the kappa -space (kappa (1) proportional tolog M, kappa(2) proportional tolog I (e) (3) M /L, kappa(3) proportional tolog M /L ). Our study is based on near-IR (H -band: lambda =1.65 mum) observations, for the first time comprising early- and late-type systems. Our data confirm that the mean effective dynamical mass-to-light ratio M /L of the E+S0+S0a galaxies increases with increasing effective dynamical mass M , as expected from the existence of the Fundamental Plane relation. Conversely, spiral and Im/BCD galaxies show a broad distribution in M /L with no detected trend of M /L with M , the former galaxies having M /L values about twice larger than the latter, on average. For all the late-type galaxies, the M /L increases with decreasing effective surface intensity I (e) , consistent with the existence of the Tully-Fisher relation. These results are discussed on the basis of the assumptions behind the construction of the kappa -space and their limitations. Our study is complementary to a previous investigation in the optical (B -band: lambda =0.44 mum) and allows us to study wavelength dependences of the galaxy distribution in the kappa -space. As a first result, we find that the galaxy distribution in the kappa(1) -kappa(2) plane reproduces the transition from bulgeless to bulge-dominated systems in galaxies of increasing dynamical mass. Conversely, it appears that the M /L of late-types is higher (lower) than that of early-types with the same M in the near-IR (optical). The origins of this behaviour are discussed in terms of dust attenuation and star formation history