Wide-Field Imaging from Space of Early-Type Galaxies and Their Globular Clusters

Abstract

Wide-field imaging from space will reveal a wealth of information about the globular cluster systems of any galaxies in the local universe that are observed by such a mission. Individual globular clusters around galaxies in the local universe have compact sizes that are ideal for the excellent spatial resolution afforded by space-based imaging, while systems of these globular clusters have large spatial extent that can only be fully explored by wide-field imaging. One example of the science return from such a study is the determination of the major formation epoch(s) of galaxies from the ages of their globular clusters determined via their optical to near-infrared colors. A second example is determining the sites of metal-poor globular cluster formation from their cosmological bias, which constrains the formation of structures early in the universe.

To appear in the conference proceedings of "Wide Field Imaging from Space" published in New Astronomy Reviews, eds. T. McKay, A. Fruchter, & E. Linder

References in corpus (3)

• The Globular Cluster Systems of the Early-type Galaxies NGC3379, NGC4406, and NGC4594 and Implications for Galaxy Formation
• Extragalactic Globular Clusters in the Near-Infrared II. The Globular Clusters Systems of NGC 3115 and NGC 4365
• Extragalactic Globular Clusters in the Near Infrared: III. NGC 5846 and NGC 7192