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We have extended the search for luminous (M_{b_J} <= -10.5) compact stellar systems (CSSs) in the Virgo and Fornax galaxy clusters by targeting with the recently commissioned AAOmega spectrograph three cluster environments -- the cluster cores around M87 and NGC 1399, intracluster space, and a major galaxy merger site (NGC 1316). We have significantly increased the number of redshift-confirmed CSSs in the Virgo cluster core and located three Virgo intracluster globular clusters (IGCs) at a large distance from M87 (154-173 arcmin or ~750-850 kpc) -- the first isolated IGCs to be redshift-confirmed. We estimate luminous CSS populations in each cluster environment, and compare their kinematic and photometric properties. We find that (1) the estimated luminous CSS population in the Virgo cluster core is half of that in Fornax, possibly reflecting the more relaxed dynamical status of the latter; (2) in both clusters the luminous CSS velocity dispersions are less than those of the cD galaxy GC system or cluster dE galaxies, suggesting luminous CSSs have less energetic orbits; (3) Fornax has a sub-population of cluster core luminous CSSs that are redder and presumably more metal-rich than those found in Virgo; (4) no luminous CSSs were found in a 10-20 arcmin (60-130 kpc) radial arc east of the 3 Gyr old NGC 1316 galaxy merger remnant or in the adjacent intracluster region, implying that any luminous CSSs created in the galaxy merger have not been widely dispersed.
Our VLT (FLAMES) observations near NGC1399 investigate the connection between ultra-compact dwarf galaxies (UCDs), NGC1399 globular clusters and intra-cluster globulars. We have uncovered 30 faint compact stellar systems in the Fornax galaxy cluster,
In recent years, increasing evidence for chemical complexity and multiple stellar populations in massive globular clusters (GCs) has emerged, including extreme horizontal branches (EHBs) and UV excess. Our goal is to improve our understanding of UV e
The HST ACS Coma Cluster Treasury Survey is a deep two passband imaging survey of the nearest very rich cluster of galaxies, covering a range of galaxy density environments. The imaging is complemented by a recent wide field redshift survey of the cl
We have obtained spectroscopic redshifts of colour-selected point sources in four wide area VLT-FLAMES fields around the Fornax Cluster giant elliptical galaxy NGC 1399, identifying as cluster members 30 previously unknown faint (-10.5<M_g<-8.8) comp
We present the results of the first search for Ultra Compact Dwarfs (UCDs) in the Perseus Cluster core, including the region of the cluster around the unusual Brightest Cluster Galaxy (BCG) NGC 1275. Utilising Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera f