Detection of massive tidal tails around the globular cluster Pal 5 with SDSS commissioning data

Journal Article · Fri Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 2000 · The Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/319095· OSTI ID:15011778

Odenkirchen, Michael; Grebel, Eva K.; Rockosi, Constance M. ; Dehnen, Walter; Ibata, Rodrigo; Rix, Hans-Walter ; Stolte, Andrea; Wolf, Christian ; Anderson, John E.; Bahcall, Neta A.; Brinkmann, Jon; Csabai, Istvan ; Hennessy, G.; Hindsley, Robert B.; Ivezic, Zeljko; Lupton, Robert H. ; Munn, Jeffrey A.; Pier, Jeffrey R.; Stoughton, Chris ; York, Donald G.

We report the discovery of two well-defined tidal tails emerging from the sparse remote globular cluster Palomar 5. These tails stretch out symmetrically to both sides of the cluster in the direction of constant Galactic latitude and subtend an angle of 2.6 degrees on the sky. The tails have been detected in commissioning data of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), providing deep five-color photometry in a 2.5 degrees wide band along the equator. The stars in the tails make up a substantial part (~1/3) of the current total population of cluster stars in the magnitude interval 19.5 < i* < 22.0. This reveals that the cluster is subject to heavy mass loss. The orientation of the tails provides an important key for the determination of the cluster's Galactic orbit.

• Research Organization: Fermi National Accelerator Lab. (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP)
• Contributing Organization: SDSS
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-07CH11359
• OSTI ID: 15011778
• Report Number(s): FERMILAB-PUB-00-354-A; arXiv:astro-ph/0012311; ASJOAB; oai:inspirehep.net:549153; TRN: US200601%%906
• Journal Information: The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 548; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
COMMISSIONING
DETECTION
EQUATOR
ORIENTATION
PHOTOMETRY
SKY
STARS