2019ApJ...875L..13W

Query : 2019ApJ...875L..13W

2019ApJ...875L..13W - Astrophys. J., 875, L13-L13 (2019/April-3)

Rediscovery of the sixth star cluster in the Fornax dwarf spheroidal galaxy.

WANG M.Y., KOPOSOV S., DRLICA-WAGNER A., PIERES A., LI T.S., DE BOER T., BECHTOL K., BELOKUROV V., PACE A.B., BACON D., ABBOTT T.M.C., ANNIS J., BERTIN E., BROOKS D., BUCKLEY-GEER E., BURKE D.L., CARNERO ROSELL A., CARRASCO KIND M., CARRETERO J., DA COSTA L.N., DE VICENTE J., DESAI S., DIEHL H.T., DOEL P., ESTRADA J., FLAUGHER B., FOSALBA P., FRIEMAN J., GARCIA-BELLIDO J., GERDES D.W., GRUEN D., GRUENDL R.A., GSCHWEND J., GUTIERREZ G., HOLLOWOOD D.L., HONSCHEID K., HOYLE B., JAMES D.J., KENT S., KUEHN K., KUROPATKIN N., MAIA M.A.G., MARSHALL J.L., MENANTEAU F., MIQUEL R., PLAZAS A.A., SANCHEZ E., SANTIAGO B., SCARPINE V., SCHINDLER R., SCHUBNELL M., SERRANO S., SEVILLA-NOARBE I., SMITH M., SMITH R.C., SOBREIRA F., SUCHYTA E., SWANSON M.E.C., TARLE G., THOMAS D., TUCKER D.L., WALKER A.R. (The DES Collaboration)

Abstract (from CDS):

Since first noticed by Shapley in 1939, a faint object coincident with the Fornax dwarf spheroidal has long been discussed as a possible sixth globular cluster (GC) system. However, debate has continued over whether this overdensity is a statistical artifact or a blended galaxy group. In this Letter we demonstrate, using deep DECam imaging data, that this object is well resolved into stars and is a bona fide star cluster. The stellar overdensity of this cluster is statistically significant at the level of ∼6-6.7σ in several different photometric catalogs including Gaia. Therefore, it is highly unlikely to be caused by random fluctuation. We show that Fornax 6 is a star cluster with a peculiarly low surface brightness and irregular shape, which may indicate a strong tidal influence from its host galaxy. The Hess diagram of Fornax 6 is largely consistent with that of Fornax field stars, but it appears to be slightly bluer. However, it is still likely more metal-rich than most of the GCs in the system. Faint clusters like Fornax 6 that orbit and potentially get disrupted in the centers of dwarf galaxies can prove crucial for constraining the dark matter distribution in Milky Way satellites.

Abstract Copyright: © 2019. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.

Journal keyword(s): galaxies: star clusters: general

VizieR on-line data: <Available at CDS (J/ApJ/875/L13): fig3.dat>

Status at CDS : All or part of tables of objects will not be ingested in SIMBAD.

Simbad objects: 8

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Number of rows : 8
N Identifier Otype ICRS (J2000)
RA 		ICRS (J2000)
DEC 		Mag U Mag B Mag V Mag R Mag I Sp type #ref
1850 - 2024 		#notes
1 NAME SMC G 00 52 38.0 -72 48 01   2.79 2.2     ~ 11145 1
2 NAME Fornax H1 Cl* 02 37 02.1 -34 11 00     16.59     ~ 104 0
3 NAME Fornax H2 GlC 02 38 44.24 -34 48 30.5   14.5       ~ 91 0
4 NAME Fornax Dwarf Spheroidal G 02 39 59.3 -34 26 57   9.02 7.4     ~ 1742 1
5 NAME Fornax 6 GlC 02 40 06.90 -34 25 19.2           ~ 14 0
6 NAME Fornax H4 GlC 02 40 07.697 -34 32 10.59   15.18 13.91 14.08   ~ 109 0
7 NAME Eridanus II G 03 44 21.1 -43 32 00           ~ 174 0
8 NAME LMC G 05 23 34.6 -69 45 22     0.4     ~ 17429 0

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