Metal abundances from Washington photometry of globular clusters in NGC 5128

Abstract

view Abstract Citations (98) References (42) Co-Reads Similar Papers Volume Content Graphics Metrics Export Citation NASA/ADS Metal Abundances From Washington Photometry of Globular Clusters in NGC 5128 Harris, Gretchen L. H. ; Geisler, Doug ; Harris, Hugh C. ; Hesser, James E. Abstract Integrated photometry on the Washington system has been obtained for 62 globular clusters in the nearby peculiar elliptical galaxy NGC 5128; from these data [Fe/H] values accurate to ~0.25 dex have been derived based on the C-T_1_, index. The mean metallicity of <[Fe/H]_C-T__1_>= -0.8+/-0.2 confirms previous indications that the NGC 5128 globular cluster system is at least 0.5 dex more metal rich than that of the Galaxy. Approximately 20% of the clusters are redder than their reddest Galactic counterparts. However, the most metal-rich clusters appear to be only slightly enhanced over solar abundance and not as extreme as suggested by Frogel's infrared observations (ApJ, 278, 119 (1984)), although the difficulties in calibrating metal abundances for such clusters are formidable. Furthermore, in both range of metallicity and mean value, the NGC 5128 cluster system shows a striking similarity to that associated with NGC 1399, the central elliptical in Fornax, suggesting that the process of metal enrichment of a globular cluster system depends more on the parent galaxy's luminosity than on its environment. Publication: The Astronomical Journal Pub Date: August 1992 DOI: 10.1086/116259 Bibcode: 1992AJ....104..613H Keywords: Abundance; Astronomical Photometry; Elliptical Galaxies; Globular Clusters; Metallicity; Charge Coupled Devices; Interstellar Extinction; Peculiar Galaxies; Astrophysics; GALAXIES: ABUNDANCES; GALAXIES: INDIVIDUAL: NGC 5128; GLUBULAR CLUSTERS: GENERAL full text sources ADS | data products SIMBAD (67) NED (64)