Lilia P. Bassino

The globular cluster system of NGC 1399 *,**,*** V. dynamics of the cluster system out to 80 kpc

Globular clusters (GCs) are tracers of the gravitational potential of their host galaxies. Moreover, their kinematic properties may provide clues for understanding the formation of GC systems and their host galaxies. We use the largest set of GC velocities obtained so far of any elliptical galaxy to revise and extend the previous investigations (Richtler et al. 2004) of the dynamics of NGC 1399, the central dominant galaxy of the nearby Fornax cluster of galaxies. The GC velocities are used to study the kinematics, their relation with population properties, and the dark matter halo of NGC 1399. We have obtained 477 new medium-resolution spectra (of these, 292 are spectra from 265 individual GCs, 241 of which are not in the previous data set). with the VLT FORS 2 and Gemini South GMOS multi-object spectrographs. We revise velocities for the old spectra and measure velocities for the new spectra, using the same templates to obtain an homogeneously treated data set. Our entire sample now comprises velocities for almost 700 GCs with projected galactocentric radii between 6 and 100 kpc. In addition, we use velocities of GCs at larger distances published elsewhere. Combining the kinematic data with wide-field photometric Washington data, we study the kinematics of the metal-poor and metal-rich subpopulations. We discuss in detail the velocity dispersions of subsamples and perform spherical Jeans modelling. The most important results are: the red GCs resemble the stellar field population of NGC 1399 in the region of overlap. The blue GCs behave kinematically more erratic. Both subpopulations are kinematically distinct and do not show a smooth transition. It is not possible to find a common dark halo which reproduces simultaneously the properties of both red and blue GCs. Some velocities of blue GCs are only to be explained by orbits with very large apogalactic distances, thus indicating a contamination with GCs which belong to the entire Fornax cluster rather than to NGC 1399. Also, stripped GCs from nearby elliptical galaxies, particularly NGC 1404, may contaminate the blue sample. We argue in favour of a scenario in which the majority of the blue cluster population has been accreted during the assembly of the Fornax cluster. The red cluster population shares the dynamical history of the galaxy itself. Therefore we recommend to use a dark halo based on the red GCs alone. The dark halo which fits best is marginally less massive than the halo quoted previously. The comparison with X-ray analyses is satisfactory in the inner regions, but without showing evidence for a transition from a galaxy to a cluster halo, as suggested by X-ray work.

Large-scale study of the NGC 1399 globular cluster system in Fornax

We present a Washington C and Kron-Cousins R photometric study of the globular cluster system of NGC 1399, the central galaxy of the Fornax cluster. A large areal coverage of 1 square degree around NGC 1399 is achieved with three adjoining fields of the MOSAIC II Imager at the CTIO 4-m telesc ope. Working on such a large field, we can perform the first indicative determination of the total size of the NGC 1399 globular cluster system. The estimated angular extent, measured from the NGC 1399 centre and up to a limiting radius where the areal density of blue globular clusters falls to 30 per cent of the background level, is 45± 5 arcmin, which corresponds to 220 - 275 kpc at the Fornax distance. The bimodal colour distribution of this globular cluster system, as well as the different radial distribution of blue and red clusters, up to the se large distances from the parent galaxy, are confirmed. The azimuth al globular cluster distribution exhibits asymmetries tha t might be understood in terms of tidal stripping of globulars from NGC 1387, a nearby galaxy. The good agreement between the areal density profile of blue clusters and a projected dark-matter NFW density profile is emphasized.

The dark matter halo of NGC 1399: CDM or MOND?

Context. Central galaxies in galaxy clusters may be key discriminants in the competition between the cold dark matter (CDM) paradigm and modified Newtonian dynamics (MOND). Aims. We investigate the dark halo of NGC 1399, the central galaxy of the Fornax cluster, out to a galactocentric distance of 80 kpc. Methods. The data base consists of 656 radial velocities of globular clusters obtained with MXU/VLT and GMOS/Gemini, which is the largest sample so far for any galaxy. We performed a Jeans analysis for a non-rotating isotropic model. Results. An NFW halo with the parameters r 3 �

Galaxy populations in the Antlia cluster. I. Photometric properties of early-type galaxies ⋆

We present the first colour‐magnitude relation (CMR) of early-type galaxies in the central region of the Antlia cluster, obtained from CCD wide-field photometry in the Washington photometric system. Integrated (C − T1) colours, T1 magnitudes, and effective radii have been measured for 93 galaxies (i.e. the largest galaxies sample in the Washington system till now) from the FS90 Antlia Group catalogue. Membership of 37 objects can be confirmed through new radial velocities and data collected from the literature. The resulting colour‐ magnitude diagram shows that early-type FS90 galaxies that are spectroscopically confirmed Antlia members or that were considered as definite members by FS90, follow a well-defined CMR [σ(C−T1) ∼ 0.07 mag] that spans 9 mag in brightness with no apparent change of slope. This relation is very tight for the whole magnitude range but S0 galaxies show a larger dispersion, apparently due to a separation of ellipticals and S0s. Antlia displays a slope of −13.6 in a T1 versus (C − T1) diagram, in agreement with results for clusters like Fornax, Virgo, Coma and Perseus, which are dynamically different to Antlia. This fact might indicate that the build-up of the CMR in cluster of galaxies is more related to galaxies internal processes than to the influence of the environment. Interpreting the CMR as a luminosity‐metallicity relation of old stellar systems, the metallicities of the Antlia galaxies define a global relation down to MV ≈− 13. We also find, for early-type dwarfs, no clear relation between luminosity and effective radius, indicating a nearly constant mean effective radius of ∼1 kpc. This value is also found in several samples of dwarf galaxies in Virgo and Coma.

Globular cluster systems in low‐luminosity early‐type galaxies near the Fornax cluster centre

We present a photometric study of the globular cluster systems (GCSs) of the Fomax cluster galaxies NGC 1374, NGC 1379 and NGC 1387. The data consist of images from the wide-field MOSAIC imager of the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) 4-m telescope, obtained with Washington C and Kron-Cousins R filters. The images cover a field of 36 x 36 arcmin 2 , corresponding to 200 x 200 kpc 2 at the Fornax distance. Two of the galaxies, NGC 1374 and NGC 1379, are low-luminosity ellipticals while NGC 1387 is a low-luminosity lenticular. Their cluster systems are still embedded in the cluster system of NGC 1399. Therefore, the use of a large field is crucial and some differences to previous work can be explained by this. The colour distributions of all GCSs are bimodal. NGC 1387 presents a particularly distinct separation between red and blue clusters and an overproportionally large population of red clusters. The radial distribution is different for blue and red clusters, red clusters being more concentrated towards the respective galaxies. The different colour and radial distributions point to the existence of two globular cluster subpopulations in these galaxies. Specific frequencies are in the range S N = 1.4-2.4, smaller than the typical values for elliptical galaxies. These galaxies might have suffered tidal stripping of blue globular clusters by NGC 1399.

Globular cluster candidates within the Fornax cluster: Intracluster globulars?

We present the results of a search for globular clusters in the surroundings of 15 low surface brightness dwarf galaxies belonging to the Fornax Cluster, which was carried out on CCD images obtained with the C and T 1 filters of the Washington photometric system. The globular cluster candidates show an extended and probably bimodal (C - T 1 ) color distribution, which is inconsistent with the presence of a single population of metal-poor clusters detected in several dwarf galaxies. The surface number density of these candidates shows no concentration towards the respective dwarf galaxies, in whose outskirts they have been identified. On the contrary, if we split the candidates in two groups according to their projected distances to the center of the Fornax Cluster, those located closer to the center show a higher projected density than those located farther from it. These results suggest that the potential globular clusters might not be bound to the dwarf galaxies. Alternatively, these globulars could form part of the very peripheral regions of NGC 1399 (the central galaxy of the Fornax Cluster) or even belong to the intracluster medium.

The bright end of the colour-magnitude relation of cluster galaxies

We investigate the origin of the colour-magnitude relation (CMR) followed by early-type cluster galaxies by using a combination of cosmological N-body simulations of cluster of galaxies and a semi-analytic model of galaxy formation (Lagos, Cora & Padilla 2008). Results show good agreement between the general trend of the simulated and observed CMR. However, in many clusters, the most luminous galaxies depart from the linear fit to observed data displaying almost constant colours. With the aim of understanding this behaviour, we analyze the dependence with redshift of the stellar mass contributed to each galaxy by different processes, i.e., quiescent star formation, and starburst during major/minor and wet/dry mergers, and disk instability events. The evolution of the metallicity of the stellar component, contributed by each of these processes, is also investigated. We find that the major contribution of stellar mass at low redshift is due to minor dry merger events, being the metallicity of the stellar mass accreted during this process quite low. Thus, minor dry merger events seem to increase the mass of the more luminous galaxies without changing their colours.

Galaxy populations in the Antlia cluster – II. Compact elliptical galaxy candidates★

Continuing our study of galaxy populations in the Antlia cluster, we present a photometric analysis of four galaxies classified as compact elliptical (cE) galaxies in the 1990 Antlia Group catalogue of Ferguson and Sandage. Until now, there have been only six known members of this rare type of galaxy. Using data from various photometric systems (Washington C, KronCousins R, Bessel V and I, Hubble Space Telesecope F814W and F435W), we measured the brightness and colour profiles, as well as the structural parameters. By comparing these with those of other galaxies in the Antlia cluster, as well as with confirmed cE galaxies from the literature, we found that two of the cE candidates, although spectroscopically confirmed Antlia members, are not cE galaxies. However, one of these objects presents strong ellipticity and position angle variations that resemble those already reported for M32, leading us to speculate about this type of object being a progenitor of a cE galaxy. The other two cE candidates, for which radial velocities are not available, match some features typical of cE galaxies, such as being close in projection to a larger galaxy, displaying flat colour profiles, and having a high degree of compactness. Only one of the remaining cE candidates shows a high central surface brightness, two components in its brightness profile and distinct changes in ellipticity and position angle where the outer component begins to dominate. It seems to follow the same trend as other confirmed cE galaxies in a luminosity versus mean effective surface brightness diagram. Moreover, it shows a distorted inner structure with similar characteristics to those found by simulations of interacting galaxies. Also, an extremely faint structure, which seems to link this object with one of the Antlia dominant galaxies, has been detected in images from the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory MOSAIC, the Very Large Telescope FORS 1 and the Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys. The cE nature of this galaxy and the possible interaction with its bright companion still have to be confirmed using spectroscopy.

The globular cluster systems of NGC 3258 and NGC 3268 in the Antlia cluster

The Antlia galaxy cluster is the third nearest galaxy cluster after Virgo and Fornax. We used the wide-field MOSAIC camera of the 4-m CTIO telescope to search in the brightest cluster galaxies for globular cluster systems, which were detected in the two larger ellipticals - NGC 3258 and NGC 3268. These galaxies each contain several thousand clusters; NGC 3258 more than NGC 3268. The color distributions of the globular cluster systems are clearly bimodal. The peak colors agree with those of other ellipticals. The radial number density profiles of the globular cluster systems are indistinguishable for the two galaxies and no dierence in the distribution of red and blue clusters - as observed in other elliptical galaxies - can be seen. The light profile of NGC 3268 appears to be similar to that of NGC 1399, the central galaxy of the Fornax cluster. NGC 3258 has a light profile which is steeper at large radii. Both galaxies exhibit color gradients, becoming bluer outwards. In NGC 3268, the color and morphology in the inner 3 00 indicate the presence of an inner dusty disk. The globular cluster systems closely trace the galaxy light in the studied radial regime. The elongation of the cluster systems of both galaxies is approximately aligned at large radii with the connecting axis of the two galaxies. We find specific frequencies within a radial range of 4 0 of S N= 3:0 2:0 for NGC 3268 and S N= 6:0 2:5 for NGC 3258. As a byproduct resulting from surveying our wide-field frames, we describe a strange absorption feature in the Antlia spiral galaxy NGC 3269, which we argue might be a tiny galactic dust cloud projected onto NGC 3269.

The globular cluster system of NGC 1316 I. Wide-field photometry in the Washington system ,,

Context. NGC 1316 (Fornax A) is a prominent merger remnant in the outskirts of the Fornax cluster. The bulge stellar population of NGC 1316 has a strong intermediate-age component. Studies of its globular cluster system may help to further refine its probably complex star formation history. Aims. The cluster system has not yet been studied in its entirety. We therefore present a wide-field study of the globular cluster system of NGC 1316, investigating its properties in relation to the global morphology of NGC 1316. Methods. We used the MOSAIC II camera at the 4-m Blanco telescope at CTIO in the filters Washington C and Harris R. We identified globular cluster candidates and studied their color distribution and the structural properties of the system. In an appendix, we also remark on the morphology, present color maps, and present new models for the brightness and color profiles of the galaxy. Results. The cluster system is well confined to the optically visible outer contours of NGC 1316. There are about 640 cluster candidates down to R = 24 mag. The color distribution of the entire sample is unimodal, but the color distribution of bright subsamples in the bulge shows two peaks that, compared with theoretical Washington colors with solar metallicity, correspond to ages of about 2 Gyr and 0.8 Gyr, respectively. We also find a significant population of clusters in the color range 0.8 < C − R < 1.1, which must be populated by clusters younger than 0.8 Gyr, unless they are very metal-poor. The color interval 1.3 < C − R < 1.6 hosts the bulk of intermediate-age clusters, which show a surface density profile with a sharp decline at about 4 � . The outer cluster population shows an unimodal color distribution with a peak at C −R = 1.1, indicating a higher contribution of old, metal-poor clusters. However, their luminosity function does not show the expected turn-over, so the fraction of younger clusters is still significant. We find a pronounced concentration of blue cluster candidates in the area of Schweizer’s L1-structure. Conclusions. Cluster formation in NGC 1316 has continued after an initial burst that is presumably related to the main merger. A toy model with two bursts of ages 2 Gyr and 0.8 Gyr is consistent with photometric properties and dynamical M/L-values. In this model, the older, metal-rich pre-merger population has an age of 7 Gyr, contributes 90% of the bulge mass and 70% of the luminosity. Its properties are consistent with spiral galaxies, where star-bursts were triggered by major/minor mergers and/or close encounters.