The globular cluster system around the low-luminosity S0 galaxy NGC 7457
Abstract
We investigate the globular cluster system around the low-luminosity S0 galaxy NGC 7457 with deep B, V, I photometry. From the V photometry the total number of globular clusters around the galaxy is estimated to be 178 +- 75. The specific frequency is estimated to be S_N = 2.7 +- 1.1 adopting M_V = -19.55 mag for the galaxy. We select 89 globular cluster candidates on the basis of their colors (B-I, V-I and B-V). The B-I and V-I color distributions are found unimodal with a mean metallicity [Fe/H] ~ -1. dex. Nevertheless the width of the B-I color distribution is found larger than that expected for a single population of globular clusters and is consistent with the presence of more than one population. If the latter is the case, the two peaks would not be detected in B-I because of the small statistics and/or a small difference in the mean metallicity of the two populations. No metal poor globular clusters similar to those of the Milky Way halo are detected around NGC 7457.
Cite
@article{arxiv.astro-ph/9904095,
title = {The globular cluster system around the low-luminosity S0 galaxy NGC 7457},
author = {S. Chapelon and V. Buat and D. Burgarella and M. Kissler-Patig},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:astro-ph/9904095},
year = {2007}
}
Comments
11 pages, including 4 tables and 7 figures. Accepted for publications in Astronomy and Astrophysics