Globular Cluster Luminosity Function Research Articles

EIGHT HUNDRED NEW CANDIDATES FOR GLOBULAR CLUSTERS IN NGC 5128 (Centaurus A)

We have used new wide-field imaging with the Magellan IMACS camera to search for globular cluster (GC) candidates around NGC 5128, the nearest giant E galaxy. The imaging data are in the B and R broadband filters and cover a 1.55 deg 2 field centered on the galaxy, corresponding to an area about 90 × 90 kpc 2 at the distance of NGC 5128. All the fields were taken under exceptionally high-quality seeing conditions (FWHM = 0. �� 4–0. 5i nR). Using this material we are able, for the first time in the literature, to construct a homogeneous list of GC candidates covering a wide span of the NGC 5128 halo and unusually free of field contaminants (foreground stars and faint background galaxies). Selecting the measured objects by color, magnitude, ellipticity, and profile size gives us a final catalog of 833 new high-quality GC candidates brighter than R = 21 (0.8 mag fainter than the standard GC luminosity function turnover point). The measured positions have better than 0. 2 precision in both coordinates. This list can be used as the basis for spectroscopic follow-up, leading to a more comprehensive kinematic and dynamic study of the halo.

Globular cluster luminosity function as distance indicator

Globular clusters are among the first objects used to establish the distance scale of the Universe. In the 1970-ies it has been recognized that the differential magnitude distribution of old globular clusters is very similar in different galaxies presenting a peak at M V ∼−7.5. This peak magnitude of the so-called Globular Cluster Luminosity Function has been then established as a secondary distance indicator. The intrinsic accuracy of the method has been estimated to be of the order of ∼0.2 mag, competitive with other distance determination methods. Lately the study of the Globular Cluster Systems has been used more as a tool for galaxy formation and evolution, and less so for distance determinations. Nevertheless, the collection of homogeneous and large datasets with the ACS on board HST presented new insights on the usefulness of the Globular Cluster Luminosity Function as distance indicator. I discuss here recent results based on observational and theoretical studies, which show that this distance indicator depends on complex physics of the cluster formation and dynamical evolution, and thus can have dependencies on Hubble type, environment and dynamical history of the host galaxy. While the corrections are often relatively small, they can amount to important systematic differences that make the Globular Cluster Luminosity Function a less accurate distance indicator with respect to some other standard candles.

The specific frequencies of ultra-compact dwarf galaxies

We aim at quantifying the specific frequency of UCDs in a range of environments and at relating this to the frequency of globular clusters (GCs) and potential progenitor dwarf galaxies. Are the frequencies of UCDs consistent with being the bright tail of the GC luminosity function (GCLF)? We propose a definition for the specific frequency of UCDs, S_{N,UCD}=N_{UCD}*10^{0.4*(M_{V,host}-M_{V,0})}*c_{w}. The parameter M_{V,0} is the zeropoint of the definition, chosen such that the specific frequency of UCDs is the same as those of globular clusters, S_{N,GC}, if UCDs follow a simple extrapolation of the GCLF. The parameter c_{w} is a correction term for the GCLF width sigma. We apply our definition of S_{N,UCD} to results of spectroscopic UCD searches in the Fornax, Hydra and Centaurus galaxy clusters, two Hickson Compact Groups, and the Local Group. This includes a large database of 180 confirmed UCDs in Fornax. We find that the specific frequencies derived for UCDs match those of GCs very well, to within 10-50%. The ratio {S_{N,UCD}}/{S_{N,GC}} is 1.00 +- 0.44 for the four environments Fornax, Hydra, Centaurus, and Local Group, which have S_{N,GC} values. This good match also holds for individual giant galaxies in Fornax and in the Fornax intracluster-space. The error ranges of the derived UCD specific frequencies in the various environments then imply that not more than 50% of UCDs were formed from dwarf galaxies. We show that such a scenario would require >90% of primordial dwarfs in galaxy cluster centers (<100 kpc) to have been stripped of their stars. We conclude that the number counts of UCDs are fully consistent with them being the bright tail of the GC population. From a statistical point of view there is no need to invoke an additional formation channel.

Stars and clusters of the coma galaxies NGC 4921 and NGC 4923

Based on deep Hubble Space Telescope ACS/WFC images, we have performed stellar photometry for the spiral and lenticular galaxies NGC 4921 and NGC 4923 in the Coma cluster. The derived Hertzsprung-Russell diagrams show that, apart from the stellar population, NGC 4921 has several thousand globular clusters. The asymmetry of their apparent distribution proves that NGC 4921 is in close spatial proximity to NGC 4923. We have determined the positions of the peaks for the luminosity functions of globular clusters in the two galaxies, which has allowed us to measure the distance to this pair (D = 97±5 Mpc). In many cases, compact star-forming regions at the periphery of NGC 4921 are located at the ends of extended (up to 1.5 kpc) radial gas and dust filaments. The metallicity of young stars in these star-forming regions is close to that of the Sun (Z = 0.02).

A large population of ultra-compact dwarf galaxies in the Hydra I cluster

We performed a large spectroscopic survey of compact, unresolved objects in the core of the Hydra I galaxy cluster (Abell 1060), with the aim of identifying ultra-compact dwarf galaxies (UCDs), and investigating the properties of the globular cluster (GC) system around the central cD galaxy NGC 3311. We obtained VIMOS medium resolution spectra of about 1200 candidate objects with apparent magnitudes 18.5 < V < 24.0 mag, covering both the bright end of the GC luminosity function and the luminosity range of all known UCDs. By means of spectroscopic redshift measurements, we identified 118 cluster members, from which 52 are brighter than M_V = -11.0 mag, and can therefore be termed UCDs. The brightest UCD in our sample has an absolute magnitude of M_V = -13.4 mag (corresponding to a mass of > 5 x 10^7 M_sun) and a half-light radius of 25 pc. This places it among the brightest and most massive UCDs ever discovered. Most of the GCs/UCDs are both spatially and dynamically associated to the central cD galaxy. The overall velocity dispersion of the GCs/UCDs is comparable to what is found for the cluster galaxies. However, when splitting the sample into a bright and a faint part, we observe a lower velocity dispersion for the bright UCDs/GCs than for the fainter objects. At a dividing magnitude of M_V = -10.75 mag, the dispersions differ by more than 200 km/s, and up to 300 km/s for objects within 5 arcmin around NGC 3311. We interpret these results in the context of different UCD formation channels, and conclude that interaction driven formation seems to play an important role in the centre of Hydra I.

THE ACS FORNAX CLUSTER SURVEY. VIII. THE LUMINOSITY FUNCTION OF GLOBULAR CLUSTERS IN VIRGO AND FORNAX EARLY-TYPE GALAXIES AND ITS USE AS A DISTANCE INDICATOR

We use a highly homogeneous set of data from 132 early-type galaxies in the Virgo and Fornax clusters in order to study the properties of the globular cluster luminosity function (GCLF). The globular cluster system of each galaxy was studied using a maximum likelihood approach to model the intrinsic GCLF after accounting for contamination and completeness effects. The results presented here update our Virgo measurements and confirm our previous results showing a tight correlation between the dispersion of the GCLF and the absolute magnitude of the parent galaxy. Regarding the use of the GCLF as a standard candle, we have found that the relative distance modulus between the Virgo and Fornax clusters is systematically lower than the one derived by other distance estimators, and in particular it is 0.22mag lower than the value derived from surface brightness fluctuation measurements performed on the same data. From numerical simulations aimed at reproducing the observed dispersion of the value of the turnover magnitude in each galaxy cluster we estimate an intrinsic dispersion on this parameter of 0.21mag and 0.15mag for Virgo and Fornax respectively. All in all, our study shows that the GCLF properties vary systematically with galaxy mass showing no evidence for a dichotomy between giant and dwarf early-type galaxies. These properties may be influenced by the cluster environment as suggested by cosmological simulations.

Wide-fieldHST/ACS images of M81: the population of compact star clusters

We study the population of compact stellar clusters (CSCs) in M81, using the HST/ACS images in the filters F435W, F606W and F814W covering, for the first time, the entire optical extent of the galaxy. Our sample contains 435 clusters of FWHM less than 10 ACS pixels (9 pc). The sample shows the presence of two cluster populations, a blue group of 263 objects brighter than B=22 mag, and a red group of 172 objects, brighter than B=24 mag. Based on the analysis of colour magnitude diagrams and making use of simple stellar population models, we find the blue clusters are younger than 300 Myr with some clusters as young as few Myr, and the red clusters are as old as globular clusters. The luminosity function of the blue group follows a power-law distribution with an index of 2.0, typical value for young CSCs in other galaxies. The power-law shows unmistakable signs of truncation at I=18.0 mag (M_I=-9.8 mag), which would correspond to a mass-limit of 4x10^4 M_solar if the brightest clusters are younger than 10 Myr. The red clusters have photometric masses between 10^5 to 2x10^7 M_solar for the adopted age of 5 Gyr and their luminosity function resembles very much the globular cluster luminosity function in the Milky Way. The brightest GC in M81 has M_B^0=-10.3 mag, which is ~0.9 mag brighter than w-Cen, the most massive GC in the Milky Way.

THE MASS-METALLICITY RELATION OF GLOBULAR CLUSTERS IN THE CONTEXT OF NONLINEAR COLOR-METALLICTY RELATIONS

Two recent empirical developments in the study of extragalactic globular cluster (GC) populations are the color–magnitude relation of the blue GCs (the "blue tilt") and the nonlinearity of the dependence of optical GC colors on metallicity. The color–magnitude relation, interpreted as a mass–metallicity relation, is thought to be a consequence of self-enrichment. Nonlinear color–metallicity relations have been shown to produce bimodal color distributions from unimodal metallicity distributions. We simulate GC populations including both a mass–metallicity scaling relation and nonlinear color–metallicity relations motivated by theory and observations. Depending on the assumed range of metallicities and the width of the GC luminosity function (GCLF), we find that the simulated populations can have bimodal color distributions with a "blue tilt" similar to observations, even though the metallicity distribution appears unimodal. The models that produce these features have the relatively high mean GC metallicities and nearly equal blue and red peaks characteristic of giant elliptical galaxies. The blue tilt is less apparent in the models with metallicities typical of dwarf ellipticals; the narrower GCLF in these galaxies has an even bigger effect in reducing the significance of their color–magnitude slopes. We critically examine the evidence for nonlinearity versus bimodal metallicities as explanations for the characteristic double-peaked color histograms of giant ellipticals and conclude that the question remains open. We discuss the prospects for further theoretical and observational progress in constraining the models presented here and for uncovering the true metallicity distributions of extragalactic GC systems.

NGC 5128: The Giant Beneath

AbstractThis paper reviews what has been learned about the old stellar population of NGC 5128, the only large elliptical galaxy close enough that we can currently observe individual stars as faint as the horizontal branch. Although its galaxy type is still a matter of debate, the uncertainties over distance are now largely resolved; comparison of five stellar distance indicators gives d= 3.8±0.1 Mpc. The globular cluster system, which was once perplexingly invisible, is now known to be predominantly old with a substantial metal-rich component. The globular cluster system (GCS) total population and luminosity function are normal and the clusters follow the same fundamental plane relation as those in the Milky Way and M31. Finally, the halo out to at least ∼7reff is dominated by metal-rich stars which are also predominantly old, with age and metallicity tantalizingly similar to the majority of globular clusters.

Dynamical friction of star clusters against disc field stars in galaxies: implications on stellar nucleus formation and globular cluster luminosity functions

We numerically investigate orbital evolution of star clusters (SCs) under the influence of dynamical friction by field stars of their host disc galaxies embedded in dark matter haloes. We find that SCs with masses larger than ∼2 x 10 5 M ⊙ can show significant orbital decay within less than 1 Gyr due to dynamical friction by disc field stars in galaxies with disc masses (M d ) less than 10 9 M ⊙ . We also find that orbital decay of SCs due to dynamical friction is more remarkable in disc galaxies with smaller M d and higher mass ratios of discs to dark matter haloes. The half-number radii (R h,sc ) and mean masses within R h,sc of the SC systems (SCSs) in low-mass disc galaxies with M d ≤ 10 9 M ⊙ are found to evolve significantly with time owing to dynamical friction of SCs. More massive SCs that can spiral-in to the central regions of discs can form multiple SCSs with smaller velocity dispersions so that they can merge with one another to form single stellar nuclei with their masses comparable to ∼0.4 per cent of their host disc masses. Based on these results, we suggest that luminosity functions for more massive globular clusters (GCs) with masses larger than 2 x 10 5 M⊙ can steepen owing to transformation of the more massive GCs into single stellar nuclei through GC merging in less luminous galaxies. We also suggest that the half-number radii of GC systems can evolve owing to dynamical friction only for galaxies with their total masses smaller than ∼10 10 M⊙.

No relation between the vertical velocity component and the absolute magnitude among globular clusters

AbstractThe globular cluster luminosity function distribution shows a peak at MV ≈ −7.5 mag. There are some indications that the kinematic parameters are correlated with luminosity. In particular, Alfaro et al. (2001) have studied the properties of the Galactic globular cluster system and they found a correlation between spatial-velocity component and globular cluster absolute magnitude. The authors assumed that the globular clusters can be separated into two groups. The first is composed of globular clusters with MV &lt; −7.5 mag and moving preferentially towards the north Galactic pole, while the faintest globular clusters, composing the second group, move towards the Galactic disk. We have selected a sample of globular clusters using the same criteria as Alfaro et al. (2001) and have checked that this apparent relation indeed exists. Nevertheless, we decided to investigate whether it could be a fortuitous relation or an intrinsic property by checking its validity for eight different epochs at past and future times. The orbital parameters for the globular clusters at these eight epochs were found by orbital integration using a typical Galactic potential. We show that this relation between the vertical velocity component and the absolute magnitude among globular clusters is not coherent with time and the velocity distribution does not support the hypothesis of Alfaro et al. for the existence of two dynamical groups of globular clusters.

ON THE INTERPRETATION OF THE GLOBULAR CLUSTER LUMINOSITY FUNCTION

The conversion of the globular cluster luminosity function (GCLF, dN/dlogL) to the globular cluster mass function (GCMF, dN/dlogM) is addressed. Dissolving globular clusters (GCs) become preferentially depleted in low-mass stars, which have a high mass-to-light ratio. This has been shown to result in a mass-to-light ratio (M/L) that increases with GC luminosity or mass, because more massive GCs have lost a smaller fraction of their stars than low-mass GCs. Using GC models, we study the influence of the luminosity dependency of M/L on the inferred GCMF. The observed GCLF is consistent with a powerlaw or Schechter type GC initial mass function in combination with a cluster mass-dependent mass loss rate. Below the peak, the logarithmic slope of the GCMF is shallower than that of the GCLF (0.7 versus 1.0), whereas the peak mass is 0.1-0.3 dex lower when accounting for the variability of M/L than in the case where a constant M/L is adopted.

THE GLOBULAR CLUSTER SYSTEMS IN THE COMA ELLIPTICALS. IV: WFPC2 PHOTOMETRY FOR FIVE GIANT ELLIPTICALS ,

We analyze photometric data in V and I for the globular cluster (GC) systems in five of the giant ellipticals in the Coma Cluster: NGC 4874, 4881, 4889, 4926, and IC 4051. We find that the GC luminosity functions are quite similar to one another, with a turnover derived from a composite sample of more than 9,000 GCs at V = 27.71 +- 0.07 (M_V = -7.3). Both a simple Gaussian curve and an evolved Schechter function fit the bright half of the GCLF equally well, though the Coma GCLF is broader and has a higher ``cutoff mass'' (M_c ~ 3 x 10^6 M_Sun) than in any of the Virgo giants. These five Coma members exhibit a huge range in GC specific frequency, from a low of S_N = 0.7 for NGC 4881 up to 12 for IC 4051 and NGC 4874. No single formation scenario appears able to account for these differences in otherwise-similar galaxies. The supergiant NGC 4874 has the richest globular cluster system known, probably holding more than 30,000 clusters; its true extent is not yet determined and may extend well out into the Coma potential well. For the three biggest GC systems (NGC 4874, 4889, IC 4051), all three populations are dominated by red, metal-rich clusters. Their metallicity distributions also may all have the normal bimodal form, with the two sequences at the expected mean colors (blue) = 0.98 and (red) = 1.15. However, the color distributions and relative numbers of metal-rich clusters show intriguing counterexamples to a trend established by Peng et al. 2008 (ApJ 681, 197) for the Virgo galaxies. At the very highest-density and most massive regimes represented by the Coma supergiants, formation of metal-rich clusters seems to have been especially favored.

Globular cluster systems in nearby dwarf galaxies - I.HST/ACS observations and dynamical properties of globular clusters at low environmental density

We investigate the old globular cluster (GC) population of 68 faint (M v > -16 mag) dwarf galaxies located in the halo regions of nearby (≤12 Mpc) loose galaxy groups and in the field environment based on archival Hubble Space Telescope (HST)/Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) images in F606W and F814W filters. The combined colour distribution of 175 GC candidates peaks at (V - I) = 0.96 ± 0.07 mag and the GC luminosity function turnover for the entire sample is found at M v,TO = -7.6 ± 0.11 mag, similar to the old metal-poor Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) GC population. Our data reveal a tentative trend of M v,TO becoming fainter from late- to early-type galaxies. The luminosity and colour distributions of GCs in dIrrs show a lack of faint blue GCs (bGCs). Our analysis reveals that this might reflect a relatively younger GC system than typically found in luminous early-type galaxies. If verified by spectroscopy, this would suggest a later formation epoch of the first metal-poor star clusters in dwarf galaxies. We find several bright (massive) GCs which reside in the nuclear regions of their host galaxies. These nuclear clusters have similar luminosities and structural parameters as the peculiar Galactic clusters suspected of being the remnant nuclei of accreted dwarf galaxies, such as M54 and ωCen. Except for these nuclear clusters, the distribution of GCs in dIrrs in the half-light radius versus cluster mass plane is very similar to that of Galactic young halo clusters, which suggests comparable formation and dynamical evolution histories. A comparison with theoretical models of cluster disruption indicates that GCs in low-mass galaxies evolve dynamically as self-gravitating systems in a benign tidal environment.

A LARGE POPULATION OF ULTRA-COMPACT DWARFS AND BRIGHT INTRACLUSTER GLOBULARS IN THE FORNAX CLUSTER

All the previously cataloged ultracompact dwarf (UCD) galaxies in the Fornax and Virgo clusters have 17.5 <b J < 20. Using the 2dF spectrograph on the Anglo-Australian Telescope, we have carried out a search for fainter UCDs in the Fornax Cluster. In the magnitude interval 19.5 <b J < 21.5, we have found 54 additional compact cluster members within a projected radius of 0. 9 (320 kpc) of the cluster center, all of which meet our selection and observational criteria to be UCDs. These newly identified objects, however, overlap in luminosity and spatial distribution with objects classified as globular clusters (GCs) belonging to the central cluster galaxy NGC 1399; in fact, about half of the objects in our sample are included in recent catalogs of NGC 1399/Fornax GCs. The numbers, luminosity function, and spatial distributions of our compact object sample are consistent with being the bright tail of the Fornax cluster-wide GC population. Yet, our present larger sample of intergalactic compact objects forms a dynamically distinct population from both the NGC1399 GCs and the nucleated dwarf ellipticals in Fornax. This supports the interpretation that the UCDs, which populate the bright tail of the GC luminosity function, are, in some respects, a separate class of objects, at least to the extent that they have experienced a distinct dynamical history and origin, which differs from the bulk of the NGC1399 GCs. Correcting for our spectroscopic incompleteness, we estimate that there are ∼105 ± 13 of these brighter compact cluster objects down to bJ < 21.5 in the central region of the Fornax, and hence these UCDs/globulars outnumber other galaxy types in this space. The differences in their dynamics and distribution compared to dwarf ellipticals (dEs) may be consistent with a threshing or tidal destruction origin, if they have come from a subpopulation of dE galaxies on initial orbits that rendered them susceptible to such processes.

LOW-MASS X-RAY BINARIES AND GLOBULAR CLUSTERS IN EARLY-TYPE GALAXIES. II. GLOBULAR CLUSTER CANDIDATES AND THEIR MASS-METALLICITY RELATION

We present an astrometry and photometry catalogue of globular cluster (GC) candidates detected with the Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 in a sample of 19 early-type galaxies, appropriate for comparison with the low-mass X-ray binary populations observed with Chandra. In a companion paper, we present the Chandra data and investigate the relation between these populations. We demonstrate that, although there is little evidence of a color-magnitude correlation for the GCs, after estimating mass and metallicity from the photometry under the assumption of a single-age simple stellar population, there is a significant positive correlation between mass and metallicity. We constrained [Z/H] = (-2.1 ± 0.2) + (0.25 ± 0.04)log10M, with a 1σ intrinsic scatter of 0.62 dex in metallicity. If GCs are bimodal in metallicity, this relation is consistent with recent suggestions of a mass-metallicity relation only for metal-poor clusters. Adopting a new technique to fit the GC luminosity function (GCLF) accounting for incompleteness and the Eddington bias, we compute the V-band local GC specific frequency (SN ) and specific luminosity (SL ) of each galaxy. We show that SL is the more robust measure of the richness of a GC population where a significant fraction is undetected due to source detection incompleteness. We find that the absolute magnitude of the GCLF turnover exhibits intrinsic scatter from galaxy to galaxy of ~0.3 mag (1σ), limiting its accuracy as a standard distance measure.

The Globular Cluster Systems around NGC 3311 and NGC 3309

We present extensive new photometry in -->(g', i') of the large globular cluster (GC) system around NGC 3311, the central cD galaxy in the Hydra cluster. Our GMOS data cover a 5.5 -->' field of view and reach a limiting magnitude -->i' 26.0, about 0.5 mag fainter than the turnover point of the GC luminosity function. We find that NGC 3311 has a huge population of 16,000 GCs, closely similar to the prototypical high specific frequency Virgo giant M87. The color-magnitude distribution shows that the metal-poor blue GC sequence and the more metal-rich red sequence are both present, with nearly equal numbers of clusters. Bimodal fits to the color distributions confirm that the blue sequence shows the same trend of progressively increasing metallicity with GC mass that has previously been found in many other large galaxies; the correlation we find corresponds to a scaling of GC metallicity with mass of -->Z ~ M0.6. By contrast, the red sequence shows no change of mean metallicity with mass but does show an upward extension to much higher than normal luminosity into the UCD-like range, strengthening the potential connections between massive GCs and UCDs. The GC luminosity function, which we measure down to the turnover point at -->MI ? 8.4, also has a normal form like those in other giant ellipticals. Within the Hydra field, another giant elliptical NGC 3309 is sitting just 100 -->'' from the cD NGC 3311. We use our data to solve simultaneously for the spatial structure and total GC populations of both galaxies. Their specific frequencies are -->SN(N 3311) = 12.5 ? 1.5 and -->SN(N 3309) = 0.6 ? 0.4. NGC 3311 is completely dominant and entirely comparable with other cD-type systems such as M87 in Virgo.

A Galaxy in Transition: Structure, Globular Clusters, and Distance of the Star‐Forming S0 Galaxy NGC 1533 in Dorado

We use two-band imaging data from the Advanced Camera for Surveys onboard the Hubble Space Telescope for a detailed study of NGC 1533, an SB0 galaxy in the Dorado group surrounded by a ring of H I. NGC 1533 appears to be completing a transition from late to early type: it is red, but not quite dead. Faint spiral structure becomes visible following galaxy subtraction, and luminous blue stars can be seen in isolated areas of the disk. Dust is visible in the color map in the region around the bar, and there is a linear color gradient throughout the disk. We determine an accurate distance from the surface brightness fluctuation (SBF) method, finding (m − M) = 31.44 ± 0.12 mag, or d = 19.4 ± 1.1 Mpc. We then study the globular cluster (GC) colors, sizes, and luminosity function (GCLF). Estimates of the distance from the median of the GC half-light radii and from the peak of the GCLF both agree well with the SBF distance. The GC specific frequency is SN = 1.3 ± 0.2, typical for an early-type disk galaxy. The color distribution is bimodal, as commonly observed for bright galaxies. There is a suggestion of the redder GCs having smaller sizes, but the trend is not significant. The sizes do increase significantly with galactocentric radius, in a manner more similar to the Milky Way GC system than to those in Virgo. This difference may be an effect of the steeper density gradients in loose groups as compared to galaxy clusters. Additional studies of early-type galaxies in low-density regions can help determine if this is indeed a general environmental trend.

The Globular Cluster Luminosity Function and Specific Frequency in Dwarf Elliptical Galaxies

The globular cluster luminosity function, specific globular cluster frequency, SN, specific globular cluster mass, TMP, and globular cluster mass fraction in dwarf elliptical galaxies are explored using the full 69 galaxy sample of the HST WFPC2 Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy Snapshot Survey. The GCLFs of the dEs are well represented with a t5 function with a peak at M(dE,HST) = -7.3 ± 0.1. This is ~0.3 mag fainter than the GCLF peaks in giant spiral and elliptical galaxies, but the results are consistent within the uncertainties. The bright-end slope of the luminosity distribution has a power-law form with slope α = -1.9 ± 0.1. The trend of increasing SN or TMP with decreasing host galaxy luminosity is confirmed. The mean value for TMP in dE,N galaxies is about a factor of 2 higher than the mean value for nonnucleated galaxies and the distributions of TMP in dE,N and dE,noN galaxies are statistically different. These data are combined with results from the literature for a wide range of galaxy types and environments. At low host galaxy masses the distribution of TMP for dE,noN and dI galaxies are similar. This supports the idea that one pathway for forming dE,noN galaxies is by the stripping of dIs. The formation of nuclei and the larger values of TMP in dE,N galaxies may be due to higher star formation rates and star cluster formation efficiencies due to interactions in galaxy cluster environments.

The Globular Cluster System in NGC 5866: Optical Observations fromHubble Space TelescopeAdvanced Camera for Surveys

We perform a detailed study of the Globular Cluster (GC) system in the galaxy NGC5866 based on F435W, F555W, and F625W (~ B, V, and R) HST Advanced Camera for Surveys images. Adopting color, size and shape selection criteria, the final list of GC candidates comprises 109 objects, with small estimated contamination from background galaxies, and foreground stars. The color distribution of the final GC sample has a bimodal form. Adopting color to metallicity transformations derived from the Teramo--SPoT simple stellar population model, we estimate a metallicity [Fe/H]~ -1.5, and -0.6 dex for the blue and red peaks, respectively. A similar result is found if the empirical color-metallicity relations derived from Galactic GCs data are used. The two subpopulations show some of the features commonly observed in the GC system of other galaxies, like a ``blue tilt'', higher central concentrations of the red subsystem, and larger half--light radii at larger galactocentric distances. However, we do not find evidence of a substantial difference between the average sizes of red and blue clusters. Our analysis of the GC Luminosity Function indicates a V-band Turn-Over Magnitude V$_0^{TOM}$=23.46+-0.06, or M$_{V,0}^{TOM}\sim-7.29 +- 0.10$ mag, using the distance modulus derived from the average of SBF and the PNLF distances. The absolute Turn-Over Magnitude obtained agrees well with calibrations from literature. The specific frequency is measured to be $S_N=1.4 +- 0.3$, typical for galaxies of this type.