  A simple spherically-symmetric, steady-state, cooling-flow description with
gas loss (following Sarazin \& Ashe 1989), within galaxy models constrained by
radially extended stellar dynamical data, is shown to provide generally
reasonable fits to the existing data on X-ray emission profiles and
temperatures for a set of bright elliptical galaxies in Virgo and Fornax. Three
free parameters are needed to specify the model: the external mass flux, the
external pressure, and a dimensionless factor, which regulates the mass
deposition rate along the flow. Three different assumptions on the supernova
rate have been considered. A moderate value for the supernova rate in
elliptical galaxies is found to be preferred. Confining pressures of
$p_{ext}\sim4\div15\times10^3\kelvin$ cm$^{-3}$ and significant accretion rates
of external material, up to $4\msolar/\yr$, are suggested by our models. A
possible correlation between $L_X/L_B$ and the iron abundance in the gas inside
ellipticals is pointed out.

Astrophysics