Ages and structural and dynamical parameters of two globular clusters in the M81 group


Abstract in English

GC-1 and GC-2 are two globular clusters (GCs) in the remote halo of M81 and M82 in the M81 group discovered by Jang et al. using the {it Hubble Space Telescope} ({it HST}) images. These two GCs were observed as part of the Beijing--Arizona--Taiwan--Connecticut (BATC) Multicolor Sky Survey, using 14 intermediate-band filters covering a wavelength range of 4000--10000 AA. We accurately determine these two clusters ages and masses by comparing their spectral energy distributions (from 2267 to 20000~{AA}, comprising photometric data in the near-ultraviolet of the {it Galaxy Evolution Explorer}, 14 BATC intermediate-band, and Two Micron All Sky Survey near-infrared $JHK_{rm s}$ filters) with theoretical stellar population-synthesis models, resulting in ages of $15.50pm3.20$ for GC-1 and $15.10pm2.70$ Gyr for GC-2. The masses of GC-1 and GC-2 obtained here are $1.77-2.04times 10^6$ and $5.20-7.11times 10^6 rm~M_odot$, respectively. In addition, the deep observations with the Advanced Camera for Surveys and Wide Field Camera 3 on the {it HST} are used to provide the surface brightness profiles of GC-1 and GC-2. The structural and dynamical parameters are derived from fitting the profiles to three different models; in particular, the internal velocity dispersions of GC-1 and GC-2 are derived, which can be compared with ones obtained based on spectral observations in the future. For the first time, in this paper, the $r_h$ versus $M_V$ diagram shows that GC-2 is an ultra-compact dwarf in the M81 group.

Download