scholarly journals NGC 5128: The Giant Beneath

2010 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 475-481 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gretchen L. H. Harris
Keyword(s):  
Globular Cluster ◽  
Globular Clusters ◽  
Stellar Population ◽  
Total Population ◽  
Elliptical Galaxy ◽  
Cluster System ◽  
Fundamental Plane ◽  
Galaxy Type ◽  
Globular Cluster System ◽  
Distance Indicators

AbstractThis paper reviews what has been learned about the old stellar population of NGC 5128, the only large elliptical galaxy close enough that we can currently observe individual stars as faint as the horizontal branch. Although its galaxy type is still a matter of debate, the uncertainties over distance are now largely resolved; comparison of five stellar distance indicators gives d= 3.8±0.1 Mpc. The globular cluster system, which was once perplexingly invisible, is now known to be predominantly old with a substantial metal-rich component. The globular cluster system (GCS) total population and luminosity function are normal and the clusters follow the same fundamental plane relation as those in the Milky Way and M31. Finally, the halo out to at least ∼7reff is dominated by metal-rich stars which are also predominantly old, with age and metallicity tantalizingly similar to the majority of globular clusters.

What do globular clusters tell us about isolated ellipticals? The case of NGC 6411

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (S351) ◽  
pp. 60-63
Author(s):  
J. P. Caso ◽  
Lilia P. Bassino ◽  
T. Richtler ◽  
R. Salinas
Keyword(s):  
Globular Cluster ◽  
Globular Clusters ◽  
Luminosity Function ◽  
Elliptical Galaxy ◽  
Cluster System ◽  
Colour Distribution ◽  
Globular Cluster System

AbstractWe summarize the results from a study of the globular cluster (GC) system of the isolated elliptical galaxy NGC 6411, based on Gemini/GMOS g', r', i’ photometry. The extent of the globular cluster system is about 70 kpc. It contains ≍700 members. The colour distribution and luminosity function are typical of old GC systems. An excess of bright GCs with intermediate colours might evidence an intermediate-age merger.

scholarly journals Ages and Metallicities of Globular Clusters in NGC 5128

2002 ◽  
Vol 207 ◽  
pp. 269-274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enrico V. Held ◽  
Luciana Federici ◽  
Carla Cacciari ◽  
Vincenzo Testa
Keyword(s):  
Absorption Line ◽  
Globular Cluster ◽  
Hydrogen Absorption ◽  
Metal Content ◽  
Globular Clusters ◽  
Elliptical Galaxy ◽  
Cluster System ◽  
Globular Cluster System ◽  
Metallicity Distribution

We have obtained multislit spectroscopy of 40 known globular clusters in the nearby peculiar elliptical galaxy NGC 5128 at the ESO NTT telescope. Measurements of metal and hydrogen absorption line indices have been used to estimate the age and metal content of individual clusters. The results have been combined with previous data from multifibre spectroscopy of clusters in the halo of NGC 5128 to study the age and metallicity distribution of the globular cluster system.

scholarly journals A Gemini/GMOS study of the bright elliptical galaxy NGC 3613 and its globular cluster system

2020 ◽  
Vol 492 (3) ◽  
pp. 4313-4324 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruno J De Bórtoli ◽  
Lilia P Bassino ◽  
Juan P Caso ◽  
Ana I Ennis
Keyword(s):  
Globular Cluster ◽  
Globular Clusters ◽  
Elliptical Galaxy ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Cluster System ◽  
Host Galaxy ◽  
Surface Photometry ◽  
Host Galaxies ◽  
Colour Distribution ◽  
Globular Cluster System

ABSTRACT We present the first photometric study of the globular cluster system (GCS) of the E galaxy NGC 3613 (MV = −21.5, d ∼ 30.1 Mpc), as well as the surface photometry of the host galaxy, based on Gemini/GMOS images. Being considered the central galaxy of a group, NGC 3613 inhabits a low-density environment although its intrinsic brightness is similar to the expected one for galaxies in the centre of clusters. The following characteristics are obtained for this GCS. The colour distribution is bimodal, with metal-poor globular clusters (GCs) getting slightly bluer with increasing radius. The radial and azimuthal projected distributions show that metal-rich GCs are more concentrated towards the host galaxy and trace its light distribution very precisely, while metal-poor GCs present a more extended and uniform distribution. The GC luminosity function helps validate the adopted distance. The estimated total GC population of Ntot = 2075 ± 130 leads to a specific frequency SN = 5.2 ± 0.7, a value within the expected range for GCSs with host galaxies of similar luminosity. The surface photometry of NGC 3613 reveals a three-component profile and a noticeable substructure. Finally, a small sample of ultracompact dwarf candidates are identified in the surroundings of the host galaxy.

Metallicity and Luminosity Functions of the Globular Clusters in NGC 4472

1996 ◽  
Vol 174 ◽  
pp. 393-394
Author(s):  
Myung Gyoon Lee ◽  
Eunhyeuk Kim ◽  
Doug Geisler
Keyword(s):  
Globular Cluster ◽  
Globular Clusters ◽  
Elliptical Galaxy ◽  
Virgo Cluster ◽  
Cluster System ◽  
Luminosity Functions ◽  
Globular Cluster System

NGC 4472, the brightest elliptical galaxy in the Virgo cluster, has a rich globular cluster system. We present a study of the metallicity and luminosity functions of a large number of globular clusters in NGC 4472. Deep Washington CT1 photometry of a wide (16′ × 16′) field of NGC 4472 was obtained using Tek 2048 × 2048 CCD at the KPNO 4m telescope.

Globular cluster tidal interactions and mergers in the Galactic disc

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (S351) ◽  
pp. 442-446
Author(s):  
Alessandra Mastrobuono-Battisti ◽  
Sergey Khoperskov ◽  
Paola Di Matteo ◽  
Misha Haywood
Keyword(s):  
Globular Cluster ◽  
Iron Content ◽  
Globular Clusters ◽  
Dynamical Evolution ◽  
Stellar Populations ◽  
Cluster System ◽  
Galactic Disc ◽  
Tidal Interactions ◽  
Globular Cluster System ◽  
Shed Light

AbstractThe Galactic globular cluster system went and is still going through dynamical processes that require to be explored in detail. Here we illustrate how primordial massive globular clusters born in the Milky Way’s disc evolved by stripping material from each other or even merging very early during their lives. These processes might explain the puzzling presence of star-by-star spreads in iron content observed in massive globular clusters and should be taken into account when studying globular cluster stellar populations. In this context, we show how the direct comparison between the predictions provided by our direct N-body simulations and observations can shed light on the origin and chemo-dynamical evolution of globular clusters.

scholarly journals An Overview of the Globular Cluster System of the Galaxy

1988 ◽  
Vol 126 ◽  
pp. 37-48
Author(s):  
Robert Zinn
Keyword(s):  
Globular Cluster ◽  
Globular Clusters ◽  
Milky Way ◽  
Galactic Center ◽  
Galactic Plane ◽  
Cluster System ◽  
Open Clusters ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Globular Cluster System ◽  
Harlow Shapley

Harlow Shapley (1918) used the positions of globular clusters in space to determine the dimensions of our Galaxy. His conclusion that the Sun does not lie near the center of the Galaxy is widely recognized as one of the most important astronomical discoveries of this century. Nearly as important, but much less publicized, was his realization that, unlike stars, open clusters, HII regions and planetary nebulae, globular clusters are not concentrated near the plane of the Milky Way. His data showed that the globular clusters are distributed over very large distances from the galactic plane and the galactic center. Ever since this discovery that the Galaxy has a vast halo containing globular clusters, it has been clear that these clusters are key objects for probing the evolution of the Galaxy. Later work, which showed that globular clusters are very old and, on average, very metal poor, underscored their importance. In the spirit of this research, which started with Shapley's, this review discusses the characteristics of the globular cluster system that have the most bearing on the evolution of the Galaxy.

scholarly journals Observational Constraints on the Formation and Evolution of Globular Cluster Systems

2007 ◽  
Vol 3 (S246) ◽  
pp. 394-402
Author(s):  
Stephen E. Zepf
Keyword(s):  
Globular Cluster ◽  
Globular Clusters ◽  
Dynamical Evolution ◽  
Mass Function ◽  
Cluster System ◽  
Host Galaxy ◽  
Cluster Systems ◽  
Cluster Mass ◽  
Formation And Evolution ◽  
Globular Cluster System

AbstractThis paper reviews some of the observational properties of globular cluster systems, with a particular focus on those that constrain and inform models of the formation and dynamical evolution of globular cluster systems. I first discuss the observational determination of the globular cluster luminosity and mass function. I show results from new very deep HST data on the M87 globular cluster system, and discuss how these constrain models of evaporation and the dynamical evolution of globular clusters. The second subject of this review is the question of how to account for the observed constancy of the globular cluster mass function with distance from the center of the host galaxy. The problem is that a radial trend is expected for isotropic cluster orbits, and while the orbits are observed to be roughly isotropic, no radial trend in the globular cluster system is observed. I review three extant proposals to account for this, and discuss observations and calculations that might determine which of these is most correct. The final subject is the origin of the very weak mass-radius relation observed for globular clusters. I discuss how this strongly constrains how globular clusters form and evolve. I also note that the only viable current proposal to account for the observed weak mass-radius relation naturally effects the globular cluster mass function, and that these two problems may be closely related.

scholarly journals The Absolute Magnitudes of RR Lyrae Stars and the Age of the Galaxy

1989 ◽  
Vol 111 ◽  
pp. 121-140
Author(s):  
Allan Sandage
Keyword(s):  
Globular Cluster ◽  
Globular Clusters ◽  
Main Sequence ◽  
Absolute Magnitude ◽  
Cluster System ◽  
Apparent Magnitude ◽  
Rr Lyrae ◽  
Globular Cluster System ◽  
The Absolute ◽  
Absolute Magnitudes

AbstractIt is shown that the intrinsic spread in the absolute magnitudes of the RR Lyrae variables in a given globular cluster can reach 0.5 magnitudes at a given period or at a given color, due to luminosity evolution away from the zero age horizontal (ZAHB). The size of this intrinsic luminosity spread is largest in clusters of the highest metallicity.The absolute magnitude of the ZAHB itself also differs from cluster to cluster as a function of metallicity, being brightest in clusters of the lowest metallicity. Three independent methods of calibrating the ZAHB RR Lyrae luminosities each show a strong variation of MV(RR) with [Fe/H]. The pulsation equation of P<ρ>0.5 = Q(M,Te, L) used with the observed periods, temperatures, and masses of field and of cluster RR Lyraes gives the very steep luminosity-metallicity dependence of dMv(RR)/d[Fe/H] = 0.42. Main sequence fitting of the color-magnitude diagrams of clusters which have modern main-sequence photometry gives a confirming steep slope of 0.39. A summary of Baade-Wesselink MV(RR) values for field stars determined in four independent recent studies also shows a luminosity-metallicity dependence, but less steep with a slope of dMV(RR)/d[Fe/H] = 0.21.Observations show that the magnitude difference between the main sequence turn-off point and the ZAHB in a number of well observed globular clusters is independent of [Fe/H], and has a stable value of dV = 3.54 with a disperion of only 0.1 magnitudes. Using this fact, the absolute magnitude of the main sequence turn-off is determined in any given globular cluster from the observed apparent magnitude of the ZAHB by adopting any particular MV(RR) = f([Fe/H]) calibration.Ages of the clusters are shown to vary with [Fe/H] by amounts that depend upon the slopes of the MV(RR) = f([Fe/H]) calibrations. The calibrations show that there would be a steep dependence of the age on [Fe/H] if MV(RR) does not depend on [Fe/H]. No dependence of age on metallicity exists if the RR Lyrae luminosities depend on [Fe/H] as dMV(RR)/d[Fe/H] = 0.37. If Oxygen is not enhanced as [Fe/H] decreases, the absolute average age of the globular cluster system is 16 Gyr, independent of [Fe/H], using the steep MV(RR)/[Fe/H] calibration that is favored. If Oxygen is enhanced by [O/Fe] = – 0.14 [Fe/H] + 0.40 for [Fe/H] < –1.0, as suggested from the observations of field subdwarfs, then the age of the globular cluster system decreases to 13 Gyr, again independent of [Fe/H], if the RR Lyrae ZAHB luminosities have a metallicity dependence of dMV(RR)/d[Fe/H] = 0.37.

scholarly journals The Oosterhoff Period Effect and the Age of the Galactic Globular Cluster System

1993 ◽  
Vol 139 ◽  
pp. 3-14
Author(s):  
Allan Sandage
Keyword(s):  
Globular Cluster ◽  
Globular Clusters ◽  
Hubble Constant ◽  
Cluster System ◽  
Period Effect ◽  
Type I ◽  
Instability Strip ◽  
Cluster Data ◽  
Globular Cluster System ◽  
The Individual

AbstractThe Oosterhoff division of globular clusters into two dichotomous mean period groups is a result of the variation with metallicity of the combined effects of (1) a mean increase in period with decreasing metallicity, and (2) the change of globular cluster horizontal branch (HB) morphology from the M3 to the M13 HB type within the instability strip in the metallicity range of [Fe/H] between -1.7 and -1.9. A new representation of the Oosterhoff period effect showing this property is made from the individual cluster data in Figure 1. The relation between period and metallicity for cluster and for field RR Lyraes at the blue fundamental edge of the instability strip in the HR diagram as read from this figure islog Pab = -0.122(±0.02)([Fe/H]) - 0.500(±0.01)using the metallicity scale of Butler.The high slope coefficient is consistent with the extant models of the HB when they are read at the varing temperature of the fundamental blue edge given by equation (3) of the text. Most of the current literature treats only the constant temperature condition, which is manifestly incorrect. It is this temperature effect that reconciles the observations and the models.A new calibration of the absolute magnitudes of RR Lyrae stars as a function of metallicity, combined with new oxygen enhanced isochrones for globular clusters (Bergbusch & VandenBerg 1992) reduces the age of the Galactic globular cluster system to 14.1 ± 0.3 Gyr (internal error). The resulting lower age of the universe which, when combined with a Hubble constant near 50 km s-1 Mpc-1 determined from type I supernovae, shows that the cosmological expansion has been decelerated by an amount consistent with the closure density, permitting Ω ∼ 1 now from the timing test.

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