Abstract
We present a photometric study of NGC 3258 and NGC 3268 globular cluster systems (GCSs) with a wider spatial coverage than previous works. This allowed us to determine the extension of both GCSs, and obtain new values for their populations. In both galaxies, we found the presence of radial colour gradients in the peak of the blue globular clusters. The characteristics of both GCSs point to a large evolutionary history with a substantial accretion of satellite galaxies.
Highlights
The majority of the members in globular cluster (GC) populations are usually old stellar systems (e.g., [1,2])
In order to complement the available datasets, taking advantage of their different properties, we derived the radial distributions of the GC candidates following a two-step procedure
Considering that previous studies point to an overlap of both globular cluster systems (GCSs) (e.g., [10]), we fitted the radial distributions iteratively, avoiding regions where the other GCS might be contributing to the observed surface density
Summary
The majority of the members in globular cluster (GC) populations are usually old stellar systems (e.g., [1,2]). They were formed under extreme environmental conditions, which are probably reachable only in massive star formation episodes during major mergers [3]. This implies a direct connection between the episodes that built up the globular cluster systems (GCSs) and the stellar population of the host galaxy. The central part seems to consist of two groups, each one dominated by one of these giant ellipticals (gEs) with similar luminosity. These two subgroups might be in a merging process, but surface brightness fluctuations distances [4,5,6] and radial velocities analysis [7,8] are not conclusive
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
