Bibcode
Siegel, Michael; Majewski, S. R.; Sarajedini, A.; Chaboyer, B.; Rosenberg, A.
Bibliographical reference
2007 AAS/AAPT Joint Meeting, American Astronomical Society Meeting 209, #100.12; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 38, p.1044
Advertised on:
12
2006
Citations
1
Refereed citations
1
Description
As part of The HST/ACS Survey of Galactic Globular Cluster, we have
imaged the globular clusters that are canonical members of the
Sagittarius dSph galaxy (Sgr), including M54, which is either in or
along the line of sight of the core of the Sagittarius dSph. The M54
field CMD, which extends to more than five magnitudes below the M54 main
sequence turn-off (MSTO), clearly shows multiple RGBs and a complex
array of other features, especially at the Sgr/M54 MSTO. We revise the
parameters of the other nominal Sgr member clusters and the Sgr core
using ACS main sequence fiducials as well as the new stellar evolution
isochrones constructed specifically for the ACS survey.
The distance to the Sgr core is a key constraint on theoretical models
of the tidal disruption of the dSph and the distance scale of its
extensive star streams. Our MS-fitting to the four central Sgr globular
clusters provides one set of distance estimates to the Sgr system. We
also identify five Milky Way globular clusters in/near the Milky Way
bulge -NGC 6624, NGC 6809, NGC 6681, NGC 6637 and NGC 6652 -for which
our CMDs also include the main sequence of the central body of
Sagittarius at fainter magnitudes. Thus, we can also measure the
relative distance moduli between Sgr and these generally well-studied
foreground bulge clusters. Through both the direct MS-fitting and
relative MS comparisons to foreground clusters, we find that the Sgr
core is likely to be some 20-30% farther than the canonical distances
derived or used in many earlier investigations of the Sgr system.
Support for this work (GO-10775) was provided by NASA through a grant
from the Space Telescope Science Institute which is operated by the
Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Incorporated,
under NASA contract NAS5-26555.