Probing the M87 Globular Cluster System with Deep NICMOS Imaging

Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy

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Scientific paper

The rich globular cluster (GC) system of M87 has long been a cornerstone of cluster research. We have analyzed deep HST-NICMOS H-band images of the cluster system of M87. While the optical color distribution of the M87 GCs has long been known to be bimodal the addition of mass sensitive near-infrared observations helps lift the age-metallicity degeneracy, and hence constrain the age, metallicity, and mass of individual clusters. We investigate the distributions of ages, metallicities, and masses in the globular cluster system of M87, the possible correlations between these properties, and the implications on models of globular cluster system formation and evolution. We show that the bimodality in the M87 GC system reflects the underlying metallicity distribution of old cluster populations and is unlikely to be due to differences in the horizontal branch structures, as has recently been suggested.
This research was supported by NASA LTSA grant NAG5-12975.

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