Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
1996-10-21
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
To appear in the December 1996 Astronomical Journal; 16 pages plus 6 figures. Also available at http://www.dao.nrc.ca/DAO/SCIE
Scientific paper
10.1086/118207
The luminosities of globular clusters are found to correlate with their half-light radii. The most luminous clusters have half-light radii r ~ 3 pc. Mean cluster luminosities are < Mv > = -6.64 +/- 0.26 for r < 2.0, < Mv > = -7.44 +/- 0.20 for 2.0 < r < 4.0 pc, and < Mv > = -6.57 +/- 0.21 for clusters with r > 4.0 pc. An even fainter value < Mv > = -5.85 +/- 0.36 is found for large clusters with r > 8.0 pc. These results possibly weaken confidence in the conclusion that the peak of the globular cluster luminosity distribution is a universal standard candle. In the outer Galactic halo globular clusters with red horizontal branches are fainter by about a factor of ten than are clusters with blue and intermediate color horizontal branches. Among clusters with Galactocentric distances > 10 kpc there appears to be a clear dichotomy between normal clusters (which all have [Fe/H] < -1.2) and the anomalous relatively metal-rich clusters Pal 1, Pal 12 and Ter 7, which are both unusually faint (Mv > -5) and relatively metal-rich ([Fe/H] > - 1.0). This suggests that these relatively metal-rich halo clusters may have had an unusual evolutionary history.
No associations
LandOfFree
Some Integrated Properties of Galactic Globular Clusters 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 Some Integrated Properties of Galactic Globular Clusters, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Some Integrated Properties of Galactic Globular Clusters will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-700654