Globular Cluster Systems of dE Galaxies

Details Globular Cluster Systems of dE Galaxies Globular Cluster Systems of dE Galaxies

Jan 1999

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1999aas...19312307m&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, 193rd AAS Meeting, #123.07; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 31, p.667

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

1

Scientific paper

We are currently involved in a HST snapshot survey of dE galaxies in the Fornax and Virgo Clusters to study their globular clusters and nuclei. We have shown that the globular cluster specific frequency (SN) of dEs is in the range 2--6, similar to giant ellipticals, and that SN in nucleated dEs is about twice that for non-nucleated dEs (Miller et al. 1998). Here we present additional information on the properties of the globular cluster systems and background light in these galaxies, including the shape of the globular cluster luminosity function, the colors and inferred metallicities of the clusters, and the nuclear cusp slopes. The luminosity function (LF) of the GC candidates from the entire sample is consistent with a Gaussian-shaped LF with a peak at MV0 -7.0 and a width σ V 1.4 mag. Also, with a mean color of < V-I> 0.95, most of the GCs appear to be old and metal-poor ([Fe/H] -1.5) like GCs in the Galaxy and in nearby giant ellipticals. The GCs tend to be slightly bluer than both the background light of the galaxies and the bright nuclei. If this color difference is due to metallicity, then the GCs are between 0.0 and 0.4 dex more metal-poor than the stars in bodies of the galaxies. The GCs in a couple dEs have color spreads that imply metallicity spreads of up to 1 dex. The most luminous nuclei are 0.3 dex more metal-rich than the GCs in these galaxies. Alternatively, these color differences may imply age differences between the GCs, nuclei, and stars in the galaxies.

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