The Globular Cluster System of the Virgo Cluster Ultradiffuse Galaxy VCC 615
We use Hubble Space Telescope imaging to study the globular cluster system of the Virgo Cluster ultradiffuse galaxy (UDG) VCC 615. We select globular cluster candidates through a combination of size and color, while simultaneously rejecting contamination from background galaxies that would be unreso...
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IOP Publishing
2024-01-01
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| Series: | The Astrophysical Journal |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad99cd |
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| author | J. Christopher Mihos Patrick R. Durrell Elisa Toloba Eric W. Peng Sungsoon Lim Patrick Côté Puragra Guhathakurta Laura Ferrarese |
| author_facet | J. Christopher Mihos Patrick R. Durrell Elisa Toloba Eric W. Peng Sungsoon Lim Patrick Côté Puragra Guhathakurta Laura Ferrarese |
| author_sort | J. Christopher Mihos |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We use Hubble Space Telescope imaging to study the globular cluster system of the Virgo Cluster ultradiffuse galaxy (UDG) VCC 615. We select globular cluster candidates through a combination of size and color, while simultaneously rejecting contamination from background galaxies that would be unresolved in ground-based imaging. Our sample of globular cluster candidates is essentially complete down to a limiting magnitude of F814W = 24.0, ≈90% down the globular cluster luminosity function (GCLF). We estimate a total globular cluster population for VCC 615 of ${N}_{{\rm{GC}}}=25.{1}_{-5.4}^{+6.5}$ , resulting in a specific frequency of ${S}_{N}=55.{5}_{-12.0}^{+14.5}$ , quite high compared to normal galaxies of similar luminosity, but consistent with the large specific frequencies found in some other UDGs. The abundant cluster population suggests the galaxy is enshrouded by a massive dark halo, consistent with previous dynamical mass estimates using globular cluster kinematics. While the peak of the GCLF appears slightly brighter than expected (by ≈0.3–0.5 mag), this difference is comparable to the 0.3 mag uncertainty in the measurement, and we see no sign of an extremely luminous population of clusters similar to those detected in the UDGs NGC1054-DF2 and -DF4. However, we do find a relatively high fraction ( $3{2}_{-4}^{+5}$ %) of large clusters with half-light radii R _h > 9 pc. The galaxy's offset nucleus appears photometrically distinct from the globular clusters, and is more akin to ultracompact dwarfs (UCDs) in Virgo. Over time, VCC615’s already diffuse stellar body may be further stripped by cluster tides, leaving the nucleus intact to form a new Virgo UCD. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1538-4357 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
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| series | The Astrophysical Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-e96278b23e73464ba58f01a0b2f532fe2025-08-20T02:25:44ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal1538-43572024-01-0197819310.3847/1538-4357/ad99cdThe Globular Cluster System of the Virgo Cluster Ultradiffuse Galaxy VCC 615J. Christopher Mihos0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7089-8616Patrick R. Durrell1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9427-3373Elisa Toloba2https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6443-5570Eric W. Peng3Sungsoon Lim4https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5049-4390Patrick Côté5Puragra Guhathakurta6https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8867-4234Laura Ferrarese7https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8224-1128Department of Astronomy, Case Western Reserve University , Cleveland OH 44106, USADepartment of Physics, Astronomy, Geophysics and Environmental Sciences, Youngstown State University , Youngstown, OH 44555, USADepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University of the Pacific , Stockton, CA 95211, USANOIRLab , 950 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ, 85719, USADepartment of Astronomy, Yonsei University , 50 Yonsei-ro Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, 03722, Republic of KoreaNational Research Council of Canada , Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics Program, Victoria, BC V9E 2E7, CanadaUCO/Lick Observatory, University of California Santa Cruz , Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USANational Research Council of Canada , Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics Program, Victoria, BC V9E 2E7, CanadaWe use Hubble Space Telescope imaging to study the globular cluster system of the Virgo Cluster ultradiffuse galaxy (UDG) VCC 615. We select globular cluster candidates through a combination of size and color, while simultaneously rejecting contamination from background galaxies that would be unresolved in ground-based imaging. Our sample of globular cluster candidates is essentially complete down to a limiting magnitude of F814W = 24.0, ≈90% down the globular cluster luminosity function (GCLF). We estimate a total globular cluster population for VCC 615 of ${N}_{{\rm{GC}}}=25.{1}_{-5.4}^{+6.5}$ , resulting in a specific frequency of ${S}_{N}=55.{5}_{-12.0}^{+14.5}$ , quite high compared to normal galaxies of similar luminosity, but consistent with the large specific frequencies found in some other UDGs. The abundant cluster population suggests the galaxy is enshrouded by a massive dark halo, consistent with previous dynamical mass estimates using globular cluster kinematics. While the peak of the GCLF appears slightly brighter than expected (by ≈0.3–0.5 mag), this difference is comparable to the 0.3 mag uncertainty in the measurement, and we see no sign of an extremely luminous population of clusters similar to those detected in the UDGs NGC1054-DF2 and -DF4. However, we do find a relatively high fraction ( $3{2}_{-4}^{+5}$ %) of large clusters with half-light radii R _h > 9 pc. The galaxy's offset nucleus appears photometrically distinct from the globular clusters, and is more akin to ultracompact dwarfs (UCDs) in Virgo. Over time, VCC615’s already diffuse stellar body may be further stripped by cluster tides, leaving the nucleus intact to form a new Virgo UCD.https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad99cdGalaxy clustersGalaxy evolutionGlobular star clustersLow surface brightness galaxiesDwarf galaxies |
| spellingShingle | J. Christopher Mihos Patrick R. Durrell Elisa Toloba Eric W. Peng Sungsoon Lim Patrick Côté Puragra Guhathakurta Laura Ferrarese The Globular Cluster System of the Virgo Cluster Ultradiffuse Galaxy VCC 615 The Astrophysical Journal Galaxy clusters Galaxy evolution Globular star clusters Low surface brightness galaxies Dwarf galaxies |
| title | The Globular Cluster System of the Virgo Cluster Ultradiffuse Galaxy VCC 615 |
| title_full | The Globular Cluster System of the Virgo Cluster Ultradiffuse Galaxy VCC 615 |
| title_fullStr | The Globular Cluster System of the Virgo Cluster Ultradiffuse Galaxy VCC 615 |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Globular Cluster System of the Virgo Cluster Ultradiffuse Galaxy VCC 615 |
| title_short | The Globular Cluster System of the Virgo Cluster Ultradiffuse Galaxy VCC 615 |
| title_sort | globular cluster system of the virgo cluster ultradiffuse galaxy vcc 615 |
| topic | Galaxy clusters Galaxy evolution Globular star clusters Low surface brightness galaxies Dwarf galaxies |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad99cd |
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