The Globular Cluster Systems of Abell 1185
Autor: | Michael J. West, Patrick Côté, Marianne Takamiya, John P. Blakeslee, Andrés Jordán, Ronald O. Marzke, Michael D. Gregg |
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Jazyk: | angličtina |
Rok vydání: | 2011 |
Předmět: |
Physics
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics (astro-ph.CO) Astrophysics::Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics FOS: Physical sciences Astronomy and Astrophysics Astrophysics Astrophysics::Cosmology and Extragalactic Astrophysics Advanced Camera for Surveys globular clusters: general galaxies: clusters: individual: Abell 1185 Galaxy cD Star cluster Space and Planetary Science Globular cluster Elliptical galaxy Galaxy formation and evolution galaxies: interactions Intergalactic travel galaxies: formation Astrophysics::Solar and Stellar Astrophysics galaxies: elliptical and lenticular Galaxy cluster Astrophysics::Galaxy Astrophysics Astrophysics - Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics |
Zdroj: | Astronomy & Astrophysics Artículos CONICYT CONICYT Chile instacron:CONICYT ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS |
Popis: | We examine the properties of a previously discovered population of globular clusters in the heart of the rich galaxy cluster Abell 1185 that might be intergalactic in nature. Deep images obtained with the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) aboard Hubble Space Telescope (HST) confirm the presence of ~ 1300 globular clusters brighter than I_{F814W} = 27.3 mag in a field devoid of any large galaxies. The luminosities and colors of these objects are found to be similar to those of metal-poor globular clusters observed in many galaxies to date. Although a significant fraction of the detected globular clusters undoubtedly reside in the outer halos of galaxies adjacent to this field, detailed modeling of their distribution suggests that the majority of these objects are likely to be intergalactic, in the sense that they are not gravitationally bound to any individual galaxy. We conclude that the true nature and origin of the globular cluster population in the core of A1185 -- galactic residents or intergalactic wanderers -- remains uncertain, and suggest how future observation could resolve this ambiguity. Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics, 13 pages, 15 figures |
Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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