scholarly journals The Globular Cluster Systems in the Coma Ellipticals. II. Metallicity Distribution and Radial Structure in NGC 4874 and Implications for Galaxy Formation

2000 ◽  
Vol 533 (1) ◽  
pp. 137-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
William E. Harris ◽  
J. J. Kavelaars ◽  
David A. Hanes ◽  
James E. Hesser ◽  
Christopher J. Pritchet
Keyword(s):  
Galaxy Formation ◽  
Globular Cluster ◽  
Cluster Systems ◽  
Radial Structure ◽  
Metallicity Distribution

scholarly journals Globular Cluster and Galaxy Formation: M31, the Milky Way, and Implications for Globular Cluster Systems of Spiral Galaxies

2004 ◽  
Vol 614 (1) ◽  
pp. 158-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Burstein ◽  
Yong Li ◽  
Kenneth C. Freeman ◽  
John E. Norris ◽  
Michael S. Bessell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Galaxy Formation ◽  
Globular Cluster ◽  
Milky Way ◽  
Spiral Galaxies ◽  
Cluster Systems

scholarly journals The Formation and Evolution of Star Clusters and Galaxies

2005 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 347-349
Author(s):  
Stephen E. Zepf
Keyword(s):  
Galaxy Formation ◽  
Globular Cluster ◽  
Globular Clusters ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Cluster Formation ◽  
Star Clusters ◽  
Elliptical Galaxies ◽  
Cluster Systems ◽  
Important Observation ◽  
Formation And Evolution

AbstractThis paper addresses the questions of what we have learned about how and when dense star clusters form, and what studies of star clusters have revealed about galaxy formation and evolution. One important observation is that globular clusters are observed to form in galaxy mergers and starbursts in the local universe, which both provides constraints on models of globular cluster formation, and suggests that similar physical conditions existed when most early-type galaxies and their globular clusters formed in the past. A second important observation is that globular cluster systems typically have bimodal color distributions. This was predicted by merger models, and indicates an episodic formation history for elliptical galaxies. A third and very recent result is the discovery of large populations of intermediate age globular clusters in several elliptical galaxies through the use of optical to near-infrared colors. These provide an important link between young cluster systems observed in starbursts and mergers and old cluster systems. This continuum of ages of the metal-rich globular cluster systems also indicates that there is no special age or epoch for the formation of the metal-rich globular clusters, which comprise about half of the cluster population. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of recent results on the globular cluster – low-mass X-ray binary connection.

scholarly journals Extragalactic Globular Cluster Systems in the Near-IR

2002 ◽  
Vol 207 ◽  
pp. 294-300 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas H. Puzia ◽  
Markus Kissler-Patig ◽  
Jean Brodie ◽  
Paul Goudfrooij ◽  
Michael Hilker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Galaxy Formation ◽  
Globular Cluster ◽  
Globular Clusters ◽  
Local Group ◽  
Optical Photometry ◽  
Cluster Systems ◽  
Near Ir ◽  
Galaxy Formation And Evolution ◽  
First Results ◽  
Formation And Evolution

Extragalactic Globular Clusters are useful tracers of galaxy formation and evolution. Photometric studies of globular cluster systems beyond the Local Group are still the most popular method to investigate their physical properties, such as their ages and metallicities. However, the limitations of optical photometry are well known. The better wavelength sampling of the underlying cluster's SED using K-band photometry combined with optical passbands allows us to create colors which reduce the age-metallicity degeneracy to the largest extent. Here we report on the very first results of our near-IR photometric survey of globular cluster systems in early-type galaxies outside the Local Group.

scholarly journals Globular Clusters as Probes of the Formation History of Elliptical Galaxies: Results for NGC 4472

2002 ◽  
Vol 207 ◽  
pp. 333-335
Author(s):  
K.L. Rhode ◽  
S.E. Zepf
Keyword(s):  
Galaxy Formation ◽  
Globular Cluster ◽  
Globular Clusters ◽  
Spiral Galaxies ◽  
Elliptical Galaxy ◽  
Elliptical Galaxies ◽  
Cluster Systems ◽  
Large Sample ◽  
Formation History ◽  
History Of

We have undertaken a survey of the globular cluster systems of a large sample of elliptical and spiral galaxies in order to test predictions of elliptical galaxy formation models. Here we outline the survey and present a summary of our results for the Virgo elliptical NGC 4472.

scholarly journals Globular Clusters in Elliptical Galaxies: Constraints on Mergers

1999 ◽  
Vol 186 ◽  
pp. 181-184
Author(s):  
Duncan A. Forbes
Keyword(s):  
Galaxy Formation ◽  
Globular Cluster ◽  
Globular Clusters ◽  
Elliptical Galaxies ◽  
Cluster System ◽  
Cluster Systems ◽  
Chemical Enrichment ◽  
Formation And Evolution ◽  
Globular Cluster System ◽  
Parent Galaxy

There exists a relationship between globular cluster mean metallicity and parent galaxy luminosity (e.g. Brodie & Huchra 1991; Forbes et al. 1996), which appears to be similar to that between stellar metallicity and galaxy luminosity. The globular cluster relation has a similar slope but is offset by about 0.5 dex to lower metallicity. The similarity of these relations suggests that both the globular cluster system and their parent galaxy have shared a common chemical enrichment history. If we can understand the formation and evolution of the globulars, we will also learn something about galaxy formation. With this aim in mind we have created the SAGES (Study of the Astrophysics of Globular clusters in Extragalactic Systems) project. Project members include Brodie, Elson, Forbes, Freeman, Grillmair, Huchra, Kissler–Patig and Schroder. We are using HST Imaging and Keck spectroscopy to study extragalactic globular cluster systems. Further details are given at http://www.ucolick.org/~mkissler/Sages/sages.html.

scholarly journals Globular Cluster Systems of Elliptical Galaxies

1999 ◽  
Vol 186 ◽  
pp. 173-180
Author(s):  
Stephen E. Zepf ◽  
Keith M. Ashman
Keyword(s):  
Galaxy Formation ◽  
Globular Cluster ◽  
Globular Clusters ◽  
Spiral Galaxies ◽  
Elliptical Galaxies ◽  
Cluster Systems ◽  
Physical Mechanisms ◽  
Cd Galaxies ◽  
Simplifying Assumptions ◽  
Poor Population

We review the observed properties of globular cluster systems and their implications for models of galaxy formation. Observations show that globular clusters form in gas-rich mergers, and that bimodal metallicity distributions are common in the globular cluster systems of ellipticals, with the metal-poor population more extended than the metal-rich one. These are three of the four predictions of the simple merger model of Ashman & Zepf (1992). The fourth prediction concerns the properties of the globular cluster systems of spirals, and is still to be tested by observation. Adopting Occam's razor, the confirmation of the fundamental predictions of the merger model from both young and old globular cluster systems is strong evidence that typical elliptical galaxies formed from the mergers of spiral galaxies. However, the simplifying assumptions of the Ashman-Zepf merger model limit its applicability to certain complex situations such as the formation of cD galaxies. We conclude this review by introducing new observational and theoretical programs that will further the understanding of the physical mechanisms of globular cluster and galaxy formation.

scholarly journals The Formation of Globular Cluster Systems: how, when, and where?

1996 ◽  
Vol 171 ◽  
pp. 87-95
Author(s):  
William E. Harris
Keyword(s):  
Galaxy Formation ◽  
Globular Cluster ◽  
Globular Clusters ◽  
Cluster Formation ◽  
Star Clusters ◽  
Cluster Systems ◽  
The Right

Globular clusters, as fossil remnants of the protogalactic era, provide unique traces of the earliest events of galaxy formation. However, new observations – especially from HST – are showing that massive, globular-like star clusters belong not only to the pregalactic era but can form right up to the present day under the right circumstances. Appropriate interpretation may now let us learnsimultaneouslyabout the process of cluster formation as well as the nature of the gaseous fragments from which the galaxies were assembled.

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