We use Gaia DR2 data to show that the globular cluster NGC5634 is physically associated with an arm of the Sagittarius Stream, the huge system of tidal tails created by the ongoing disruption of the Sagittarius dwarf spheroidal galaxy (Sgr dSph). Two additional arms of the Stream are also detected along the same line of sight, at different distances. We show that the Sgr Stream stars surrounding NGC5634 are more metal-poor, on average, than those found in the more distant Stream arm lying behind the cluster and in the main body of Sgr~dSph, confirming that a significant metallicity (and, presumably, age) gradient is present along the Stream. This analysis demonstrates the potential of the Gaia DR2 catalogue to directly verify if a cluster is physically associated to the Stream or not, without the need to rely on models of the tidal disruption of this system. [Withdrawn: see comments]
Download