Related papers: On the Evolution of the Globular Cluster Luminosit…
We present the luminosity function to very faint magnitudes for the globular clusters in M87, based on a 30 orbit \textit{Hubble Space Telescope (HST)} WFPC2 imaging program. The very deep images and corresponding improved false source…
Populations of young star clusters show significant differences even among "normal" disk galaxies. In this contribution I discuss how properties of young cluster systems are related to those of their host galaxies, based on a recent study…
Globular clusters are large and dense agglomerate of stars. At variance with smaller clusters of stars, they exhibit signs of some chemical evolution. At least for this reason, they are intermediate between open clusters and massive objects…
This paper reviews some of the observational properties of globular cluster systems, with a particular focus on those that constrain and inform models of the formation and dynamical evolution of globular cluster systems. I first discuss the…
We report measurements of the cluster X-ray luminosity function out to z=0.8 based on the final sample of 201 galaxy systems from the 160 Square Degree ROSAT Cluster Survey. There is little evidence for any measurable change in cluster…
We report on the extent of the effects of the Milky Way's gravitational field in shaping the structural parameters and internal dynamics of its globular cluster population. We make use of a homogeneous, up-to-date data set with kinematics,…
Globular clusters are collisional systems, meaning that the stars inside them interact on timescales much shorter than the age of the Universe. These frequent interactions transfer energy between stars and set up observable trends that tell…
The majority of observed mass-to-light ratios of globular clusters are too low to be explained by `canonical' cluster models, in which dynamical effects are not accounted for. Moreover, these models do not reproduce a recently reported…
In this paper, we present internal surface brightness profiles, using images in the F606W and F814W filter bands observed with the Advanced Camera for Surveys on the {\it Hubble Space Telescope}, for ten globular clusters (GCs) in the outer…
We present results from a study of the globular cluster luminosity function (GCLF) in a sample of 89 early-type galaxies observed as part of the ACS Virgo Cluster Survey. Using a Gaussian parametrization of the GCLF, we find a highly…
Metal-rich (red) globular clusters in massive galaxies are, on average, smaller than metal-poor (blue) globular clusters. One of the possible explanations for this phenomenon is that the two populations of clusters have different spatial…
In the three nearest luminous galaxies, the Milky Way System, the Andromeda Galaxy and NGC 5128 the brightest globular clusters are rounder than the faintest ones. On the other hand (contrary to some previous results) the flattening of…
The luminosities of globular clusters are found to correlate with their half-light radii. The most luminous clusters have half-light radii r ~ 3 pc. Mean cluster luminosities are < Mv > = -6.64 +/- 0.26 for r < 2.0, < Mv > = -7.44 +/- 0.20…
We study luminosities of millisecond pulsars in globular clusters by fitting the observed luminosity distribution with single and double power laws. We use simulations to model the observed distribution as the brighter part of some parent…
We investigated the optical properties of 7 clusters of galaxies observed in three colors over the range of absolute magnitudes -24 < M < -12. Our aim is to estimate the Luminosity Function and the total cluster luminosity of our sample in…
The radial distribution of globular clusters in our Galaxy, M31 and M87 is studied and compared with that of halo stars. The globular cluster distributions seem significantly flatter than those of the stars bulge. Assuming this is a…
The evolution of galaxies is driven strongly by dynamical processes including internal instabilities, tidal interactions and mergers. The cluster environment is a useful laboratory for studying these effects. I present recent results on…
The luminosity function of planetary nebulae populations in galaxies within 10-15 Mpc distance has a cut-off at bright magnitudes and a functional form that is observed to be invariant in different galaxy morphological types. Thus it is…
The dynamical evolution of globular clusters is theoretically described by a series of well known events typical of N-body systems. Still, the identification of observational signatures able to empirically describe the stage of dynamical…
Using N-body simulations, we have modeled the production and evolution of diffuse, low surface brightness intracluster light (ICL) in three simulated galaxy clusters. Using an observational definition of ICL to be luminosity at a surface…