DISCOVERY OF TIDAL TAILS AROUND THE DISTANT GLOBULAR CLUSTER PALOMAR 14

Journal Article · Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2011 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/726/1/47· OSTI ID:21567698

Sollima, A; Martinez-Delgado, D ^[1]; Valls-Gabaud, D ^[2]; Penarrubia, J ^[3]

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1. Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias, E-38205 San Cristobal de La Laguna (Spain)
2. GEPI, CNRS UMR 8111, Observatoire de Paris, 5 Place Jules Janssen, 92195 Meudon (France)
3. Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA (United Kingdom)

We report the detection of a pair of degree-long tidal tails associated with the globular cluster Palomar 14, using images obtained at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. We reveal a power-law departure from a King profile at large distances to the cluster center. The density map constructed with the optimal matched filter technique shows a nearly symmetrical and elongated distribution of stars on both sides of the cluster, forming an S-shape characteristic of mass loss. This evidence may be the telltale signature of tidal stripping in action. This, together with its large Galactocentric distance, imposes strong constraints on its orbit and/or origin: (1) it must follow an external orbit confined to the peripheral region of the Galactic halo and/or (2) it formed in a satellite galaxy later accreted by the Milky Way.

• OSTI ID: 21567698
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 726, Issue 1; Other Information: DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/726/1/47; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTROPHYSICS
COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY
DETECTION
GALAXY CLUSTERS
STARS