Keck Spectroscopy of Globular Clusters around NGC 1399

Details Keck Spectroscopy of Globular Clusters around NGC 1399 Keck Spectroscopy of Globular Clusters around NGC 1399

1997-10-10

arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/9710117v1

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

30 pages (two column, including 3 tables and 13 figures), to be published in The Astronomical Journal (January 1998 issue)

Scientific paper

10.1086/300186

We report moderate resolution, high signal-to-noise spectroscopy of globular clusters around NGC 1399, the central cD galaxy in the Fornax cluster. We address issues as diverse as element abundances of globular clusters versus stellar populations in ellipticals, blue horizontal branches in metal-rich globular clusters, broad-band colors as metallicity tracers, possible overestimation of the age-metallicity degeneracy in globular clusters, and dark matter in the halo of NGC 1399. (...) The derived element abundances for the globular clusters span the entire range observed in the Milky Way and M31, with a mean metallicity of our sample around [Fe/H] ~ -0.8 dex. This implies that the two major sub-populations reported from photometry could have formed by the same processes as the ones that formed halo and disk/bulge globular clusters in the Local Group spirals. Two globular clusters (that we associate with a group of very red globular clusters, representing about 5% of the total system) clearly stand out and exhibit metal abundances as high as observed for stellar populations in giant ellipticals. In addition, they display surprisingly high Hbeta and Hgamma indices that are not explained by any age/metallicity combination of existing models. The high Mg and Hbeta values in these clusters could, however, be explained by the presence of blue horizontal branches. (...)

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Keck Spectroscopy of Globular Clusters around NGC 1399 does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Keck Spectroscopy of Globular Clusters around NGC 1399, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Keck Spectroscopy of Globular Clusters around NGC 1399 will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-111986