Recent Formation of a Spiral Disk Hosting Progenitor Globular Clusters at the Center of the Perseus Brightest Cluster Galaxy. II. Progenitor Globular Clusters

Abstract

Abstract We address the nature and origin of super star clusters (SSCs) discovered by Holtzman et al. within a radius of ∼5 kpc from the center of NGC 1275, the giant elliptical galaxy at the center of the Perseus Cluster. We show that, in contrast with the much more numerous population of SSCs subsequently discovered up to ∼30 kpc from the center of this galaxy, the central SSC population have maximal masses an order of magnitude higher and a mass function with a shallower power-law slope. Furthermore, whereas the outer SSC population have ages spanning a few Myr to at least ∼1 Gyr, the central SSC population have ages strongly concentrated around ∼500 Myr with a 1σ dispersion of ∼100 Myr. These SSCs share a close spatial and temporal relationship with the “central spiral,” which also has a radius ∼5 kpc centered on NGC 1275 and a characteristic stellar age of ∼150 Myr. We argue that both the central SSC population and the central spiral formed from gas deposited by a residual cooling flow, with the SSCs forming first followed by the formation of the stellar body of the central spiral ∼300–400 Myr later. The ages of the central SSC population imply that they are able to withstand very strong tidal fields near the center of NGC 1275, making them genuine progenitor globular clusters. Evidently, a spiral disk hosting progenitor globular clusters has recently formed at the center of a giant elliptical galaxy.