arXiv subjects

Jean P. Brodie

Publications and source records attributed to Jean P. Brodie.

176 records · Page 10Linked to original sources

arXiv2000

The Beta Problem: A Study of Abell 262

We present an investigation of the dynamical state of the cluster A262. Existing optical line of sight velocities for select cluster galaxies have been augmented by new data obtained with the Automated Multi-Object Spectrograph at Lick Observatory. We find evidence for a virialized early-type population distinct from a late-type population infalling from the Pisces-Perseus supercluster ridge. We also report on a tertiary population of low luminosity galaxies whose velocity dispersion distinguishes them from both the early and late-type galaxies. We supplement our investigation with an analysis of archival X-ray data. A temperature is determined using ASCA GIS data and a gas profile is derived from ROSAT HRI data. The increased statistics of our sample results in a picture of A262 with significant differences from earlier work. A previously proposed solution to the "beta-problem" in A262 in which the gas temperature is significantly higher than the galaxy temperature is shown to result from using too low a velocity dispersion for the early-type galaxies. Our data present a consistent picture of A262 in which there is no "beta-problem", and the gas and galaxy temperature are roughly comparable. There is no longer any requirement for extensive galaxy-gas feedback to drastically overheat the gas with respect to the galaxies. We also demonstrate that entropy-floor models can explain the recent discovery that the beta values determined by cluster gas and the cluster core radii are correlated.

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arXiv2000

HST observations of star clusters in NGC 1023: Evidence for three cluster populations?

Using HST images we have carried out a study of cluster populations in the nearby S0 galaxy NGC 1023. In two WFPC2 pointings we have identified 221 cluster candidates. The small distance (~9 Mpc) combined with deep F555W and F814W images allows us to reach about two magnitudes below the expected turn-over of the globular cluster luminosity function. NGC 1023 appears to contain at least three identifiable cluster populations: the brighter clusters show a clearly bimodal color distribution with peaks at V-I = 0.92 and at V-I = 1.15 and in addition there are a number of fainter, more extended objects with predominantly red colors. Among the brighter clusters, we find that the blue clusters have somewhat larger sizes than the red ones with mean effective radii of R(eff) ~ 2 and R(eff) ~ 1.7 pc, respectively. These clusters have luminosity functions (LFs) and sizes consistent with what is observed for globular clusters in other galaxies. Fitting Gaussians to the LFs of the blue and red compact clusters we find turn-over magnitudes of M(TO,blue)=-7.58 and M(TO,red)=-7.37 in V and dispersions of sigma(V,blue)=1.12 and sigma(V,red)=0.97. The fainter, more extended clusters have effective radii up to R(eff) ~ 10-15 pc and their LF appears to rise at least down to M(V) ~ -6, few of them being brighter than M(V) = -7. We suggest that these fainter objects may have a formation history distinct from that of the brighter GCs.

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arXiv2000

A new look at globular cluster colors in NGC 3311 and the case for exclusively metal-rich globular cluster systems

NGC 3311, the central cD galaxy in the Hydra cluster, was previously thought to host the most metal-rich globular cluster system known. Ground-based Washington photometry had indicated the almost complete absence of the population of globular clusters near [Fe/H] ~ -1 dex, normally dominant in the metallicity distribution functions of giant elliptical galaxies. Lacking the normal metal-poor globular cluster population, NGC 3311 was an outstanding exception among galaxies, not easily understood under any of the current globular cluster formation scenarios. Our HST/WFPC2 data yield normal globular cluster colors and hence metallicities for this galaxy. We find a bi-modal color distribution with peaks at (V-I)=0.91 +/- 0.03 and 1.09 +/- 0.03, corresponding to [Fe/H] ~ -1.5 and -0.75 dex (somewhat dependent on the choice of the conversion relation between color and metallicity). We review the evidence for exclusively metal-rich globular cluster systems in other galaxies and briefly discuss the implications for our understanding of globular cluster and galaxy formation.

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arXiv2000

Globular Clusters in the dE,N galaxy NGC 3115 DW1: New Insights from Spectroscopy and HST Photometry

The properties of globular clusters in dwarf galaxies are key to understanding the formation of globular cluster systems, and in particular in verifying scenarios in which globular cluster systems of larger galaxies formed (at least partly) from the accretion of dwarf galaxies. Here, we revisit the globular cluster system of the dE,N galaxy NGC 3115 DW1 - a companion of the nearby S0 galaxy NGC 3115 - adding Keck/LRIS spectroscopy and HST/WFPC2 imaging to previous ground-based photometry. Spectra for seven globular clusters reveal normal abundance ratios with respect to the Milky Way and M31 clusters, as well as a relatively high mean metallicity ([Fe/H] = -1.0+/-0.1 dex). Crude kinematics indicate a high velocity dispersion within 10 kpc which could either be caused by dark matter dominated outer regions, or by the stripping of outer globular clusters by the nearby giant galaxy NGC 3115. The total galaxy mass out to 3 and 10 kpc lies between 10^10 and 10^11 solar masses and 2*10^10 and 4*10^11 solar masses, respectively, depending on the mass estimator used and the assumptions on cluster orbits and systemic velocity. The HST imaging allows measurement of sizes for two clusters, returning core radii around 2.0 pc, similar to the sizes observed in other galaxies. Spectroscopy allows an estimate of the degree of contamination by foreground stars or background galaxies for the previous ground-based photometry, but does not require a revision of previous results: NGC 3115 DW1 hosts around 60+/-20 clusters which corresponds to a specific frequency of 4.9+/-1.9, on the high end for massive dEs. Given its absolute magnitude (M_V=-17.7 mag) and the properties of its cluster system, NGC 3115 DW1 appears to be a transition between a luminous dE and low-luminosity E galaxy.

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arXiv2000

Imaging of the protoelliptical NGC 1700 and its globular cluster system

An excellent candidate for a young elliptical, or `protoelliptical' galaxy is NGC 1700. Here we present new B, V and I band imaging using the Keck telescope and reanalyse existing V and I band images from the Hubble Space Telescope. After subtracting a model of the galaxy from the Keck images NGC 1700 reveals two symmetric tidal tail-like structures. If this interpretation is correct, it suggests a past merger event involving two spiral galaxies. These tails are largely responsible for the `boxiness' of the galaxy isophotes observed at a radius of about 13 kpc. We also show that the B-I colour distribution of the globular cluster system is bimodal. The mean colour of the blue population is consistent with those of old Galactic globular clusters. Relative to this old, metal poor population, we find that the red population is younger and more metal rich. This young population has a similar age and metallicity as that inferred for the central stars, suggesting that they are both associated with an episode of star formation triggered by the merger that may have formed the galaxy. Although possessing large errors, we find that the majority of the age estimates of NGC 1700 are reasonably consistent and we adopt a `best estimate' for the age of 3.0 +/-1.0 Gyr. This relatively young age places NGC 1700 within the age range where there is a notable lack of obvious candidates for protoellipticals. The total globular cluster specific frequency is rather low for a typical elliptical, even after taking into account fading of the galaxy over the next 10 Gyr. We speculate that NGC 1700 will eventually form a relatively `globular cluster poor' elliptical galaxy.

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arXiv1999

The Age Difference between the Globular Cluster Sub-populations in NGC 4472

The age difference between the two main globular cluster sub-populations in the Virgo giant elliptical galaxy, NGC 4472 (M 49), has been determined using HST WFPC2 images in the F555W and F814W filters. Accurate photometry has been obtained for several hundred globular clusters in each of the two main sub-populations, down to more than one magnitude below the turn-over of their luminosity functions. This allows precise determinations of both the mean colors and the turn-over magnitudes of the two main sub-populations. By comparing the data with various population synthesis models, the age-metallicity pairs that fit both the observed colors and magnitudes have been identified. The metal-poor and the metal-rich globular clusters are found to be coeval within the errors ($\sim 3$ Gyr). If one accepts the validity of our assumptions, these errors are dominated by model uncertainties. A systematic error of up to 4 Gyr could affect this result if the blue and the red clusters have significantly different mass distributions. However, that one sub-population is half as old as the other is excluded at the 99% confidence level. The different globular cluster populations are assumed to trace the galaxy's major star-formation episodes. Consequently, the vast majority of globular clusters, and by implication the majority of stars, in NGC 4472 formed at high redshifts but by two distinct mechanisms or in two episodes.

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arXiv1999

A Multiwavelength View at the Heart of the Superwind in NGC 253

Here we present new optical data from the Hubble Space Telescope of the NGC 253 central region, which reveal numerous discrete sources in a ring--like structure. This is combined with data at infrared, millimeter, radio and X-ray wavelengths to examine the nature of these discrete sources and the nucleus itself. We find that the majority of optical/IR/mm sources are young star clusters which trace out a ~50 pc ring, that defines the inner edge of a cold gas torus. This reservoir of cold gas has probably been created by gas inflow from a larger scale bar and deposited at the inner Lindblad resonance. The family of compact radio sources lie interior to the starburst ring, and in general do not have optical or IR counterparts. They are mostly SNRs. The radio nucleus, which is probably an AGN, lies near the centre of the ring. The X-ray emission from the nuclear source is extended in the ROSAT HRI detector indicating that not all of the X-ray emission can be associated with the AGN. The lack of X-ray variability and the flat radio spectrum of the nucleus, argues against an ultraluminous SN as the dominant energetic source at the galaxy core. The diffuse emission associated with the outflowing superwind is present in the central region on a size scale consistent with the idea of collimation by the gas torus.

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arXiv1998

Towards an Understanding of the Globular Cluster Over--abundance around the Central Giant Elliptical NGC 1399

We investigate the kinematics of a combined sample of 74 globular clusters around NGC 1399. Their high velocity dispersion, increasing with radius, supports their association with the gravitational potential of the galaxy cluster rather than with that of NGC 1399 itself. We find no evidence for rotation in the full sample, although some indication for rotation in the outer regions. The data do not allow us to detect differences between the kinematics of the blue and red sub-populations of globular clusters. A comparison between the globular cluster systems of NGC 1399 and those of NGC 1404 and NGC 1380 indicates that the globular clusters in all three galaxies are likely to have formed via similar mechanisms and at similar epochs. The only property which distinguishes the NGC 1399 globular cluster system from these others is that it is ten times more abundant. We summarize the evidence for associating these excess globulars with the galaxy cluster rather than with NGC 1399 itself, and suggest that the over-abundance can be explained by tidal stripping, at an early epoch, of neighboring galaxies and subsequent accumulation of globulars in the gravitational potential of the galaxy cluster.

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arXiv1998

HST Imaging of the Globular Clusters in the Fornax Cluster: Color and Luminosity Distributions

We examine the luminosity and B-I color distribution of globular clusters for three early-type galaxies in the Fornax cluster using imaging data from the Wide Field/Planetary Camera 2 on the Hubble Space Telescope. The luminosity functions we derive are in most cases better than 50% complete down to B = 26.6. We find that the color distributions of globular clusters in the central region of NGC 1399 and its nearby neighbor NGC 1404 are bimodal and statistically indistinguishable. The metallicity spread, as inferred from the color distributions in these two galaxies, is very similar to that of M 87. NGC 1399's luminosity function is also very similar to that of M 87, and comparing their respective peak magnitudes indicates that the Fornax cluster is at very nearly the same distance from the Local Group as is the Virgo cluster. From this we derive H_0 = 82 +/- 8 km/s/Mpc, where the uncertainty reflects only the effects of random errors. The number of unresolved objects we find at a projected distance of 440 kpc from NGC 1399 is consistent with nothing more than compact background galaxies, though the small field of view of the WFPC2 does not allow us to put strong constraints on the number of intergalactic globular clusters. The luminosity function of objects detected around NGC 1316 is more nearly exponential than log-normal, and both the color and size distribution of these objects distinguishes them from the clusters surrounding NGC 1399. We suggest that these objects are more akin to old open clusters in the Galaxy than they are to globular clusters in typical early-type galaxies.

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arXiv1998

Keck Spectroscopy of Candidate Proto-globular Clusters in NGC 1275

Keck spectroscopy of 5 proto-globular cluster candidates in NGC 1275 has been combined with HST WFPC2 photometry to explore the nature and origin of these objects and discriminate between merger and cooling flow scenarios for globular cluster formation. The objects we have studied are not HII regions, but rather star clusters, yet their integrated spectral properties do not resemble young or intermediate age Magellanic Cloud clusters or Milky Way open clusters. The clusters' Balmer absorption appears to be too strong to be consistent with any of the standard Bruzual & Charlot evolutionary models at any metallicity. If these models are adopted, an IMF which is skewed to high masses provides a better fit to the data. A truncated IMF with a mass range of 2-3 Mo reproduces the observed Balmer equivalent widths and colors at about 450 Myr. Formation in a continuous cooling flow appears to be ruled out since the age of the clusters is much larger than the cooling time, the spatial scale of the clusters is much smaller than the cooling flow radius, and the deduced star formation rate in the cooling flow favors a steep rather than a flat IMF. A merger would have to produce clusters only in the central few kpc, presumably from gas in the merging galaxies which was channeled rapidly to the center. Widespread shocks in merging galaxies cannot have produced these clusters. If these objects are confirmed to have a relatively flat, or truncated, IMF it is unclear whether or not they will evolve into objects we would regard as bona fide globular clusters.

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arXiv1997

Keck Spectroscopy of Globular Clusters around NGC 1399

We report moderate resolution, high signal-to-noise spectroscopy of globular clusters around NGC 1399, the central cD galaxy in the Fornax cluster. We address issues as diverse as element abundances of globular clusters versus stellar populations in ellipticals, blue horizontal branches in metal-rich globular clusters, broad-band colors as metallicity tracers, possible overestimation of the age-metallicity degeneracy in globular clusters, and dark matter in the halo of NGC 1399. (...) The derived element abundances for the globular clusters span the entire range observed in the Milky Way and M31, with a mean metallicity of our sample around [Fe/H] ~ -0.8 dex. This implies that the two major sub-populations reported from photometry could have formed by the same processes as the ones that formed halo and disk/bulge globular clusters in the Local Group spirals. Two globular clusters (that we associate with a group of very red globular clusters, representing about 5% of the total system) clearly stand out and exhibit metal abundances as high as observed for stellar populations in giant ellipticals. In addition, they display surprisingly high Hbeta and Hgamma indices that are not explained by any age/metallicity combination of existing models. The high Mg and Hbeta values in these clusters could, however, be explained by the presence of blue horizontal branches. (...)

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arXiv1997

HST Imaging of the Globular Clusters in the Fornax Cluster: NGC 1379

We present B and I photometry for ~300 globular cluster candidates in NGC 1379, an E0 galaxy in the Fornax Cluster. Our data are from both Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and ground-based observations. The HST photometry (B only) is essentially complete and free of foreground/background contamination to ~2 mag fainter than the peak of the globular cluster luminosity function. Fitting a Gaussian to the luminosity function we find =24.95+-0.30 and σ_B = 1.55+-0.21. We estimate the total number of globular clusters to be 436+- 30. To a radius of 70 arcsec we derive a moderate specific frequency, S_N=3.5 +- 0.4. At radii r~ 3-6 kpc the surface density profile of the globular cluster system is indistinguishable from that of the underlying galaxy light. At r \ltsim 2.5 kpc the profile of the globular cluster system flattens, and at r \ltsim 1 kpc, the number density appears to decrease. The (B-I) colour distribution of the globular clusters (from ground-based data) is similar to that for Milky Way globulars, once corrected for background contamination. It shows no evidence for bimodality or for the presence of a population with [Fe/H]\gtsim -0.5. Unlike in the case of larger, centrally located cluster ellipticals, neither mergers nor a multiphase collapse are required to explain the formation of the NGC 1379 globular cluster system. We stress the importance of correcting for background contamination: the colour distribution of background galaxies is strongly peaked slightly bluer than the peak of a typical globular cluster distribution. This can create the impression of skewed colour distributions, or bimodality where none exists.

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arXiv1997

On the Origin of Globular Cluster Systems in Elliptical and cD Galaxies

Perhaps the most noteworthy of recent findings in extragalactic globular cluster (GC) research are the multimodal GC metallicity distributions seen in massive early-type galaxies. We explore the origin of these distinct GC populations, the implications for galaxy formation and evolution, and identify several new properties of GC systems. First, when we separate the metal-rich and metal-poor subpopulations, in galaxies with bimodal GC metallicity distributions, we find that the mean metallicity of the metal-rich GCs correlates well with parent galaxy luminosity but the mean metallicity of the metal-poor ones does not. This indicates that the metal-rich GCs are closely coupled to the galaxy and share a common chemical enrichment history with the galaxy field stars. The mean metallicity of the metal-poor population is largely independent of the galaxy luminosity. Second, the slope of the GC system radial surface density varies considerably in early-type galaxies. However the galaxies with relatively populous GC systems for their luminosity (called high specific frequency, S_N) only have shallow, extended radial distributions. A characteristic of high S_N galaxies is that their GCs are preferentially located in the outer galaxy regions relative to the underlying starlight. Third, we find that the ratio of metal-rich to metal-poor GCs correlates with S_N. In other words, high S_N galaxies have proportionately more metal-poor GCs, per unit galaxy light, than low S_N galaxies. Fourth, we find steeper metallicity gradients in high S_N galaxies. This is due to the greater number of metal-poor GCs at large galactocentric radii. We critically review current ideas for the origin of GCs in giant elliptical (gE) and cD galaxies and conclude that the gaseous merger model of Ashman & Zepf (1992) is

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arXiv1996

Hubble Space Telescope Imaging of the Globular Cluster System around NGC 5846

Bimodal globular cluster metallicity distributions have now been seen in a handful of large ellipticals. Here we report the discovery of a bimodal distribution in the dominant group elliptical NGC 5846, using the Hubble Space Telescope's Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2). The two peaks are located at V-I = 0.96 and 1.17, which roughly correspond to metallicities of [Fe/H] = -1.2 and -0.2 respectively. The luminosity functions of the blue and red subpopulations appear to be the same, indicating that luminosity does not correlate with metallicity within an individual galaxy's globular cluster system. Our WFPC2 data cover three pointings allowing us to examine the spatial distribution of globular clusters out to 30 kpc (or 2.5 galaxy effective radii). We find a power law surface density with a very flat slope, and a tendency for globular clusters to align close to the galaxy minor axis. An extrapolation of the surface density profile, out to 50 kpc, gives a specific frequency S_N = 4.3 +/- 1.1. Thus NGC 5846 has a much lower specific frequency than other dominant ellipticals in clusters but is similar to those in groups. The central galaxy regions reveal some filamentary dust features, presumably from a past merger or accretion of a gas-rich galaxy. This dust reaches to the very nucleus and so provides an obvious source of fuel for the radio core. We have searched for proto-globular clusters that may have resulted from the merger/accretion and find none. Finally, we briefly discuss the implications of our results for globular cluster formation mechanisms.

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