Mapping the galaxy NGC 4486 (M87) through its globular cluster system

Autores
Forte, Juan Carlos; Vega, Ema Irene; Faifer, Favio Raúl
Año de publicación
2012
Idioma
inglés
Tipo de recurso
artículo
Estado
versión publicada
Descripción
As shown in previous works, globular clusters (GCs) can be used to trace the overall structure of the diffuse stellar populations in early-type galaxies if the number of clusters per unit stellar mass depends on metallicity. In this paper we further test this assumption in the galaxy NGC 4486 (M87) by combining several data sources. The results show that GCs allow the mapping of the galaxy in terms of the surface brightness profile, integrated colour gradient, chemical abundance and mass-to-luminosity ratios up to 1000arcsec (or 80.4kpc) from its centre (i.e. some 10 effective radii). The analysis indicates the presence of a dominant high-metallicity bulge associated with the red globulars, whose ellipticity increases outwards, and of a more flattened low-metallicity halo connected with the blue globulars. The chemical abundance gradient of the composite stellar population is remarkably similar to that inferred from X-ray observations of hot gas. The mass-metallicity spectrum of the stellar population can, in principle, be understood in terms of inhomogeneous enrichment models. In turn, the distribution of the bluest GCs, and lowest metallicity halo stars, has an intriguing similarity with that of dark matter, a feature shared with NGC 1399. Also, in these two galaxies, the number of blue GCs per dark mass unit is identical within the errors, ≈1.0(±0.3) × 10-9. The total stellar mass derived for NGC 4486 is 6.8(±1.1) × 1011 M⊙ with a baryonic mass fraction fb= 0.08(±0.01).
Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas
Instituto de Astrofísica de La Plata
Materia
Ciencias Astronómicas
Galaxies: haloes
Galaxies: star clusters: general
Globular clusters: general
Nivel de accesibilidad
acceso abierto
Condiciones de uso
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
Repositorio
SEDICI (UNLP)
Institución
Universidad Nacional de La Plata
OAI Identificador
oai:sedici.unlp.edu.ar:10915/84681

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spelling Mapping the galaxy NGC 4486 (M87) through its globular cluster systemForte, Juan CarlosVega, Ema IreneFaifer, Favio RaúlCiencias AstronómicasGalaxies: haloesGalaxies: star clusters: generalGlobular clusters: generalAs shown in previous works, globular clusters (GCs) can be used to trace the overall structure of the diffuse stellar populations in early-type galaxies if the number of clusters per unit stellar mass depends on metallicity. In this paper we further test this assumption in the galaxy NGC 4486 (M87) by combining several data sources. The results show that GCs allow the mapping of the galaxy in terms of the surface brightness profile, integrated colour gradient, chemical abundance and mass-to-luminosity ratios up to 1000arcsec (or 80.4kpc) from its centre (i.e. some 10 effective radii). The analysis indicates the presence of a dominant high-metallicity bulge associated with the red globulars, whose ellipticity increases outwards, and of a more flattened low-metallicity halo connected with the blue globulars. The chemical abundance gradient of the composite stellar population is remarkably similar to that inferred from X-ray observations of hot gas. The mass-metallicity spectrum of the stellar population can, in principle, be understood in terms of inhomogeneous enrichment models. In turn, the distribution of the bluest GCs, and lowest metallicity halo stars, has an intriguing similarity with that of dark matter, a feature shared with NGC 1399. Also, in these two galaxies, the number of blue GCs per dark mass unit is identical within the errors, ≈1.0(±0.3) × 10<SUP>-9</SUP>. The total stellar mass derived for NGC 4486 is 6.8(±1.1) × 10<SUP>11</SUP> M⊙ with a baryonic mass fraction f<SUB>b</SUB>= 0.08(±0.01).Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y GeofísicasInstituto de Astrofísica de La Plata2012info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionArticulohttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501info:ar-repo/semantics/articuloapplication/pdf635-650http://sedici.unlp.edu.ar/handle/10915/84681enginfo:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/issn/0035-8711info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2011.20341.xinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccesshttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)reponame:SEDICI (UNLP)instname:Universidad Nacional de La Platainstacron:UNLP2025-09-29T11:16:05Zoai:sedici.unlp.edu.ar:10915/84681Institucionalhttp://sedici.unlp.edu.ar/Universidad públicaNo correspondehttp://sedici.unlp.edu.ar/oai/snrdalira@sedici.unlp.edu.arArgentinaNo correspondeNo correspondeNo correspondeopendoar:13292025-09-29 11:16:05.46SEDICI (UNLP) - Universidad Nacional de La Platafalse
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Mapping the galaxy NGC 4486 (M87) through its globular cluster system
title Mapping the galaxy NGC 4486 (M87) through its globular cluster system
spellingShingle Mapping the galaxy NGC 4486 (M87) through its globular cluster system
Forte, Juan Carlos
Ciencias Astronómicas
Galaxies: haloes
Galaxies: star clusters: general
Globular clusters: general
title_short Mapping the galaxy NGC 4486 (M87) through its globular cluster system
title_full Mapping the galaxy NGC 4486 (M87) through its globular cluster system
title_fullStr Mapping the galaxy NGC 4486 (M87) through its globular cluster system
title_full_unstemmed Mapping the galaxy NGC 4486 (M87) through its globular cluster system
title_sort Mapping the galaxy NGC 4486 (M87) through its globular cluster system
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Forte, Juan Carlos
Vega, Ema Irene
Faifer, Favio Raúl
author Forte, Juan Carlos
author_facet Forte, Juan Carlos
Vega, Ema Irene
Faifer, Favio Raúl
author_role author
author2 Vega, Ema Irene
Faifer, Favio Raúl
author2_role author
author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Ciencias Astronómicas
Galaxies: haloes
Galaxies: star clusters: general
Globular clusters: general
topic Ciencias Astronómicas
Galaxies: haloes
Galaxies: star clusters: general
Globular clusters: general
dc.description.none.fl_txt_mv As shown in previous works, globular clusters (GCs) can be used to trace the overall structure of the diffuse stellar populations in early-type galaxies if the number of clusters per unit stellar mass depends on metallicity. In this paper we further test this assumption in the galaxy NGC 4486 (M87) by combining several data sources. The results show that GCs allow the mapping of the galaxy in terms of the surface brightness profile, integrated colour gradient, chemical abundance and mass-to-luminosity ratios up to 1000arcsec (or 80.4kpc) from its centre (i.e. some 10 effective radii). The analysis indicates the presence of a dominant high-metallicity bulge associated with the red globulars, whose ellipticity increases outwards, and of a more flattened low-metallicity halo connected with the blue globulars. The chemical abundance gradient of the composite stellar population is remarkably similar to that inferred from X-ray observations of hot gas. The mass-metallicity spectrum of the stellar population can, in principle, be understood in terms of inhomogeneous enrichment models. In turn, the distribution of the bluest GCs, and lowest metallicity halo stars, has an intriguing similarity with that of dark matter, a feature shared with NGC 1399. Also, in these two galaxies, the number of blue GCs per dark mass unit is identical within the errors, ≈1.0(±0.3) × 10<SUP>-9</SUP>. The total stellar mass derived for NGC 4486 is 6.8(±1.1) × 10<SUP>11</SUP> M⊙ with a baryonic mass fraction f<SUB>b</SUB>= 0.08(±0.01).
Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas
Instituto de Astrofísica de La Plata
description As shown in previous works, globular clusters (GCs) can be used to trace the overall structure of the diffuse stellar populations in early-type galaxies if the number of clusters per unit stellar mass depends on metallicity. In this paper we further test this assumption in the galaxy NGC 4486 (M87) by combining several data sources. The results show that GCs allow the mapping of the galaxy in terms of the surface brightness profile, integrated colour gradient, chemical abundance and mass-to-luminosity ratios up to 1000arcsec (or 80.4kpc) from its centre (i.e. some 10 effective radii). The analysis indicates the presence of a dominant high-metallicity bulge associated with the red globulars, whose ellipticity increases outwards, and of a more flattened low-metallicity halo connected with the blue globulars. The chemical abundance gradient of the composite stellar population is remarkably similar to that inferred from X-ray observations of hot gas. The mass-metallicity spectrum of the stellar population can, in principle, be understood in terms of inhomogeneous enrichment models. In turn, the distribution of the bluest GCs, and lowest metallicity halo stars, has an intriguing similarity with that of dark matter, a feature shared with NGC 1399. Also, in these two galaxies, the number of blue GCs per dark mass unit is identical within the errors, ≈1.0(±0.3) × 10<SUP>-9</SUP>. The total stellar mass derived for NGC 4486 is 6.8(±1.1) × 10<SUP>11</SUP> M⊙ with a baryonic mass fraction f<SUB>b</SUB>= 0.08(±0.01).
publishDate 2012
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2012
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
Articulo
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
info:ar-repo/semantics/articulo
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://sedici.unlp.edu.ar/handle/10915/84681
url http://sedici.unlp.edu.ar/handle/10915/84681
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/issn/0035-8711
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2011.20341.x
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
635-650
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instname:Universidad Nacional de La Plata
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