Bibcode
DOI
Strader, Jay; Brodie, Jean P.; Spitler, Lee; Beasley, Michael A.
Referencia bibliográfica
The Astronomical Journal, Volume 132, Issue 6, pp. 2333-2345.
Fecha de publicación:
12
2006
Número de citas
159
Número de citas referidas
146
Descripción
We have analyzed archival Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for
Surveys images in g and z of the globular cluster (GC) systems of 53
ellipticals in the Virgo Cluster, spanning massive galaxies to dwarf
ellipticals (dEs). Several new results emerged. (1) In the giant
ellipticals (gEs) M87 and NGC 4649, there is a correlation between
luminosity and color for individual blue (metal-poor) GCs, such that
more massive GCs are more red (metal-rich). A plausible interpretation
of this result is self-enrichment, and a speculative suggestion is that
these GCs once possessed dark matter halos. (2) The dispersion in color
is nearly twice as large for the metal-rich GCs as for the metal-poor
GCs. However, there is evidence for a nonlinear relation between g-z and
metallicity, and the dispersion in metallicity may be the same for both
subpopulations. (3) Very luminous, intermediate-color GCs are common in
gEs. These objects may be remnants of many stripped dwarfs, analogs of
ω Cen in the Galaxy. (4) There is a continuity of GC system colors
from gEs to some dEs; in particular, many dEs have metal-rich GC
subpopulations. We also confirm the GC color-galaxy luminosity relations
found previously for both metal-poor and metal-rich GC subpopulations.
(5) There are large differences in GC specific frequency among dEs,
independent of the presence of a nucleus and the fraction of metal-rich
GCs. Over -15