Ages and Metallicities of Globular Clusters in NGC 4472.

Beasley, M.A.; Sharples, R.M.; Bridges, T.J.; Hanes, D.A.; Zepf, S.E.; Ashman, K.M.; Geisler, D.

Abstract

We have derived ages and metallicities from co-added spectra of 131 globular clusters (GCs) associated with the giant Virgo elliptical NGC 4472. From their metal-line indices, we find that our sample of GCs span a metallicity range of approximately -1.6 <= [Fe/H] <= 0 dex. The SSP models of Worthey (1994; W94) predict that the metal-poor population of GCs has an age of 14.5 ± 4 Gyr and that the metal-rich population is 13.8 ± 6 Gyr old, whilst the models of Kurth, Fritze-v. Alvensleben & Fricke (1999; KFF99) predict ages of 6.0 ± 2 and 8.0 ± 5 respectively. We conclude that, within the uncertainties, the GCs are old and coeval, and that the bimodality seen in the broadband colours primarily reflects metallicity and not age differences.

Citation

Beasley, M., Sharples, R., Bridges, T., Hanes, D., Zepf, S., Ashman, K., & Geisler, D. (2002, December). Ages and Metallicities of Globular Clusters in NGC 4472. Presented at Extragalactic Star Clusters, 207th IAU Symposium 207, Pucón, Chile

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Paper (published)
• Conference Name: Extragalactic Star Clusters, 207th IAU Symposium 207
• Publication Date: 2002
• Publisher: Astronomical Society of the Pacific
• Volume: 207
• Series Title: Proceedings of the ... symposium of the IAU, 207
• Book Title: Extragalactic star clusters: proceedings of the 207th Symposium of the IAU held in Pucón, Chile, 12-16 March 2001.
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1164766
• Publisher URL: http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?bibcode=2002IAUS..207..318B&db_key=AST