Bibcode
DOI
Beasley, Michael A.; Brodie, Jean P.; Strader, Jay; Forbes, Duncan A.; Proctor, Robert N.; Barmby, Pauline; Huchra, John P.
Referencia bibliográfica
The Astronomical Journal, Volume 128, Issue 4, pp. 1623-1645.
Fecha de publicación:
10
2004
Número de citas
86
Número de citas referidas
81
Descripción
A comparative analysis is performed between high-quality integrated
spectral indices of 30 M31 globular clusters, 20 Milky Way globular
clusters, and a sample of field and cluster elliptical galaxies. We find
that the Lick CN indices in the M31 and Galactic clusters are enhanced
relative to the bulges of the Milky Way, M31, and elliptical spheroids,
in agreement with Burstein and coworkers. Although not particularly
evident in the Lick CN indices, the near-UV cyanogen feature
(λ3883) is strongly enhanced with respect to the Galactic
globular clusters at metallicities -1.5<[Fe/H]<-0.3. Carbon shows
signs of varying among these two groups. For [Fe/H]>-0.8, we observe
no systematic differences in the Hδ, Hγ, or Hβ indices
between the M31 and Galactic globular clusters, in contrast to previous
studies. The elliptical galaxy sample lies offset from the loci of the
globular clusters in both the cyanogen-[MgFe] and Balmer-line-[MgFe]
planes. Six of the M31 clusters appear young and are projected onto the
M31 disk. Population synthesis models suggest that these are metal-rich
clusters with ages 100-800 Myr, metallicities -0.20<=[Fe/H]<=0.35,
and masses 0.7-~7.0×104 Msolar. Two other
young clusters are Hubble V in NGC 205, observed as a template, and an
older (~3 Gyr) cluster some 7 kpc away from the plane of the disk. The
six clusters projected onto the disk show signs of rotation similar to
the H I gas in M31, and three clusters exhibit thin disk kinematics,
according to Morrison and coworkers. Dynamical mass estimates and
detailed structural parameters are required for these objects to
determine whether they are massive open clusters or globular clusters.
If they are the latter, our findings suggest globular clusters may trace
the buildup of galaxy disks. In either case, we conclude that these
clusters are part of a young, metal-rich disk cluster system in M31,
possibly as young as 1 Gyr old.