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arXiv · 1711.09500

Globular cluster population of the HST frontier fields galaxy J07173724+3744224

Nathan L. Carlson·Madina R. Sultanova·Sandanuwan P. Kalawila Vithanage·Wayne A. Barkhouse·Gihan L. Ipita Kaduwa Gamage·Cody M. Rude·Omar Lopez-Cruz
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Abstract

We present the first measurement of the globular cluster population surrounding the elliptical galaxy J07173724+3744224 (z=0.1546). This galaxy is located in the foreground in the field-of-view of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Frontier Fields observations of galaxy cluster MACS J0717.5+3745 (z=0.5458). Based on deep HST ACS F435W, F606W, and F814W images, we find a total globular cluster population of N_tot = 3441 +/- 1416. Applying the appropriate extinction correction and filter transformation from ACS F814W to the Johnson V-band, we determine that the host galaxy has an absolute magnitude of M_V = -22.2. The specific frequency was found to be S_N = 4.5 +/- 1.8. The radial profile of the globular cluster system was best fit using a powerlaw of the form $\sigma\sim R^{-0.6}$, with the globular cluster population found to be more extended than the halo light of the host galaxy ($\sigma_{halo}\sim R^{-1.7}$). The F435W-F814W colour distribution suggests a bimodal population, with red globular clusters 1-3x more abundant than blue clusters. These results are consistent with the host elliptical galaxy J07173724+3744224 having formed its red metal-rich GCs in situ, with the blue metal-poor globular clusters accreted from low-mass galaxies.

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Nathan L. Carlson, Madina R. Sultanova, Sandanuwan P. Kalawila Vithanage, Wayne A. Barkhouse, Gihan L. Ipita Kaduwa Gamage, Cody M. Rude, Omar Lopez-Cruz. 2017-11-27. Globular cluster population of the HST frontier fields galaxy J07173724+3744224. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras%2Fsty1979

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