Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
2001-07-25
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
28 pages, 13 figures, 3 tables, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal
Scientific paper
10.1086/323771
We present the first measurement of the globular cluster populations of galaxies in Hickson compact groups, in order to investigate the effect of these high density environments on the formation and evolution of globular cluster systems. Based on V and R band images that we obtained of HCG 22a and HCG 90c with the ESO New Technology Telescope (NTT), we find a total globular cluster population of $1590\pm 854$ for HCG 22a and $2136\pm 718$ for 90c. The specific frequency for HCG 22a was found to be $S_{N}=1.9\pm 1.0$ and $S_{N}= 3.4\pm 1.1$ for HCG 90c. A power-law fit to the globular cluster radial profile of HCG 22a yields $\sigma\sim R^{-2.01\pm 0.30}$ and for HCG 90c we found $\sigma \sim R^{-1.20\pm0.16}$. A comparison of the globular cluster radial profiles with the surface brightness of the parent galaxy shows that the globular cluster systems are at least as extended as the halo light. The measured values for the specific frequency are consistent with a scenario in which the host galaxies were in a low density ``field-like'' environment when they formed their globular cluster systems.
Barkhouse Wayne A.
Bothun Gregory D.
West Michael J.
No associations
LandOfFree
Globular Cluster Population of Hickson Compact Group 22a and 90c 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 Globular Cluster Population of Hickson Compact Group 22a and 90c, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Globular Cluster Population of Hickson Compact Group 22a and 90c will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-292180