Globular Clusters and Galaxy Formation
Abstract
Globular clusters provide a unique probe of galaxy formation and evolution. Here I briefly summarize the known observational properties of globular cluster systems. One re-occurring theme is that the globular cluster systems of spirals and ellipticals are remarkably similar. Photometry, and the limited spectra available, are consistent with metal-poor clusters forming before the main spheroid component is established and the metal-rich ones forming at the same time as the spheroid in a burst of star formation. These observations are compared to a model for globular cluster formation in a LCDM hierarchical universe. One model result reported here is that S_N is determined at early times and little affected by late epoch mergers.
Cite
@article{arxiv.astro-ph/0206347,
title = {Globular Clusters and Galaxy Formation},
author = {Duncan A. Forbes},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:astro-ph/0206347},
year = {2007}
}
Comments
2 pages, Latex, 2 figures, To appear in the proceedings of Galaxy Evolution: Theory and Observations, ed. V. Avila-Reese, C. Firmani, C. Frenk, C. Allen, RevMexAA