
doi: 10.1086/323006 , 10.25916/sut.26247527.v1 , 10.48550/arxiv.astro-ph/0106459 , 10.25916/sut.26247527
arXiv: astro-ph/0106459
handle: 1959.3/1837
doi: 10.1086/323006 , 10.25916/sut.26247527.v1 , 10.48550/arxiv.astro-ph/0106459 , 10.25916/sut.26247527
arXiv: astro-ph/0106459
handle: 1959.3/1837
There is now strong evidence that the metal-rich globular clusters (GCs) near the center of our Galaxy are associated with the Galactic bulge rather than the disk as previously thought. Here we extend the concept of bulge GCs to the GC systems of nearby spiral galaxies. In particular, the kinematic and metallicity properties of the GC systems favor a bulge rather than a disk origin. The number of metal-rich GCs normalized by the bulge luminosity is roughly constant (i.e., bulge SN~1) in nearby spiral galaxies, and this value is similar to that for field elliptical galaxies when only the red (metal-rich) GCs are considered. We argue that the metallicity distributions of GCs in spiral and elliptical galaxies are remarkably similar and that they obey the same correlation of mean GC metallicity with host galaxy mass. We further suggest that the metal-rich GCs in spiral galaxies are the direct analogs of the red GCs seen in elliptical galaxies. The formation of a bulge/spheroidal stellar system is accompanied by the formation of metal-rich GCs. The similarities between GC systems in spiral and elliptical galaxies appear to be greater than the differences.
Astrophysics (astro-ph), FOS: Physical sciences, Astrophysics, 520
Astrophysics (astro-ph), FOS: Physical sciences, Astrophysics, 520
| selected citations These citations are derived from selected sources. This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | 44 | |
| popularity This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network. | Average | |
| influence This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | Top 10% | |
| impulse This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network. | Top 10% |
