Related papers: Globular clusters and galaxy fomation
We present a study of globular clusters (GCs) in 17 relatively nearby early-type galaxies, based on deep HST/WFPC2 F555W and F814W images. We compare color distributions, cluster sizes and luminosity functions with those of GCs in the Milky…
We report results on the kinematics of Milky Way (MW) globular clusters (GCs) based on updated space velocities for nearly the entire GC population. We found that a 3D space with the semi-major axis, the eccentricity and the inclination of…
Globular clusters are unique tracers of ancient star formation. We determine the formation efficiencies of globular clusters across cosmic time by modeling the formation and dynamical evolution of the globular cluster population of a Milky…
We present the results of a self-consistent $N$-body simulation following the evolution of a primordial population of thick disc globular clusters (GCs). We study how the internal properties of such clusters evolve under the action of…
(Abridged) We build a theoretical model to study the origin of the globular cluster metallicity bimodality in the hierarchical galaxy assembly scenario, based on the observed galaxy mass-[O/H] relation and the galaxy stellar mass function…
This is a "biased" review because I will show recent evidence on the contribution of globular clusters (GCs) to the halo of our Galaxy seen through the lens of the new paradigm of multiple populations in GCs. I will show a few examples…
There is compelling observational evidence that globular clusters (GCs) are quite complex objects. A growing body of photometric results indicate that the evolutionary sequences are not simply isochrones in the observational plane -as…
We investigate the accretion of globular cluster stars on early cosmological timescales through detailed N-body simulations of theoretical GC models to assess the role of this mechanism in Milky Way-like galaxies. For the dynamical…
Globular clusters (GCs) are old massive star clusters that serve as `fossils' of galaxy formation. The advent of Gaia observatory has enabled detailed kinematics studies of the Galactic GCs and revolutionized our understanding of the…
The analysis of pseudo-colour diagrams, the so-called chromosome maps, of Galactic globular clusters (GCs) permits to classify them into type I and type II clusters. Type II GCs are characterized by an above-the-average complexity of their…
Globular clusters (GCs) are among the oldest and densest stellar systems in the Universe, yet how they form remains a mystery. Here we present a suite of cosmological simulations in which both dark-matter-free GCs and dark-matter-rich dwarf…
In this short communication we consider the possibility that stars less evolved than the polluters are the source of the dilution needed to explain the observed composition of second-generation globular cluster (GC) stars and the Na-O and…
I present the latest results from our group about the multiple stellar populations in the old Milky Way globular clusters (GCs) and in the young systems both in the Magellanic Clouds and in the Milky Way. For the ancient GCs in our Galaxy I…
Globular cluster systems in most large galaxies display bimodal color and metallicity distributions, which are frequently interpreted as indicating two distinct modes of cluster formation. The metal-rich (red) and metal-poor (blue) clusters…
Globular clusters (GCs) are sensitive tracers of galaxy assembly histories but interpreting the information they encode is challenging because mergers are thought to promote both the formation and disruption of GCs. We use simulations with…
Globular clusters (GCs) are sites of extremely efficient star formation, and recent studies suggest they significantly contributed to the early Milky Way's stellar mass build-up. Although their role has since diminished, GCs' impact on the…
Deep images of 10 early-type galaxies in low-density environments have been obtained with the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) on the Hubble Space Telescope. The global properties of the globular cluster (GC) systems of the galaxies have…
The radial distribution of globular clusters in galaxies is always less peaked to the centre than the halo stars'. Extending previous work to a sample of HST globular cluster systems in ellipticals, we evaluate the number of clusters lost…
I review recent and less recent work on globular cluster systems in early-type galaxies. Explaining their properties and possible assembly scenarios, touches on a variety of astrophysical topics from cluster formation itself to galaxy…
This paper explores if the mean properties of Early-Type Galaxies (ETG) can be reconstructed from "genetic" information stored in their GCs (i.e., in their chemical abundances, spatial distributions and ages). This approach implies that the…