Published April 1, 2011 | Version v1
Journal article

THE M33 GLOBULAR CLUSTER SYSTEM WITH PAndAS DATA: THE LAST OUTER HALO CLUSTER?

  • 1. Department of Physics and Astronomy, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4M1 (Canada)
  • 2. Institute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh EH9 3HJ (United Kingdom)

Description

We use CFHT/MegaCam data to search for outer halo star clusters in M33 as part of the Pan-Andromeda Archaeological Survey. This work extends previous studies out to a projected radius of 50 kpc and covers over 40 deg2. We find only one new unambiguous star cluster in addition to the five previously known in the M33 outer halo (10 kpc ≤ r ≤ 50 kpc). Although we identify 2440 cluster candidates of various degrees of confidence from our objective image search procedure, almost all of these are likely background contaminants, mostly faint unresolved galaxies. We measure the luminosity, color, and structural parameters of the new cluster in addition to the five previously known outer halo clusters. At a projected radius of 22 kpc, the new cluster is slightly smaller, fainter, and redder than all but one of the other outer halo clusters, and has g' ∼ 19.9, (g' - i') ∼ 0.6, concentration parameter c ∼ 1.0, a core radius rc ∼ 3.5 pc, and a half-light radius rh ∼ 5.5 pc. For M33 to have so few outer halo clusters compared to M31 suggests either tidal stripping of M33's outer halo clusters by M31, or a very different, much calmer accretion history of M33.

Availability note (English)

Available from http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/730/2/112

Additional details

Identifiers

Publishing Information

Journal Title
Astrophysical Journal
Journal Volume
730
Journal Issue
2
Journal Page Range
[12 p.]
ISSN
0004-637X
CODEN
ASJOAB

INIS

Country of Publication
United States
Country of Input or Organization
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
INIS RN
43052512
Subject category
S79: ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY;
Descriptors DEI
GALACTIC EVOLUTION; GALAXIES; LUMINOSITY; STAR CLUSTERS
Descriptors DEC
EVOLUTION; OPTICAL PROPERTIES; PHYSICAL PROPERTIES