A&A 463, 493–502 (2007) Astronomy DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:20066109 & c ESO 2007 Astrophysics The age structure of globular cluster systems in early-type galaxies and its dependence on host galaxy properties M. Hempel1,2, M. Kissler-Patig3,T.H.Puzia4, and M. Hilker3,5 1 Michigan State University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, 48824 East Lansing, Michigan, USA 2 University of Florida, Department of Astronomy, 211 Bryant Space Science Center, Gainesville 32611, FL, USA e-mail: [email protected] 3 European Southern Observatory, Karl-Schwarzschild Str. 2, 85748 Garching, Germany e-mail: [email protected] 4 Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA e-mail: [email protected] 5 Argelander Institut für Astronomie, Universität Bonn, Auf dem Hügel 71, 53121 Bonn, Germany e-mail: [email protected] Received 25 July 2006 / Accepted 13 October 2006 ABSTRACT Aims. We present the results of an optical – near-infrared photometric survey of globular cluster systems in early-type galaxies. Our project aims to study correlations between the age structure of the globular cluster systems and environmental as well as structural parameters of their host galaxies. Methods. To derive the age structure in globular cluster systems we use combined optical and near-infrared photometry. This com- bination facilitates the detection of young globular cluster sub-populations if their age differs significantly from the old (∼13 Gyr) population, i.e. if their age is ∼<7 Gyr. We investigate globular cluster systems in galaxies located in the central regions of galaxy clusters (NGC 1399, M 87, NGC 4478), galaxies which are members of (sub-) groups (NGC 4365, NGC 5846) and isolated galaxies (NGC 3115 and NGC 7192). Further, we look for correlations between globular cluster system properties and structural parame- ters of the galaxies (velocity dispersion σ, color ((V − K), (B − V)), and luminosity MV ). For a quantitative analysis we define the “Methuselah” parameter, Mth – based on the fraction of young and old metal-rich globular clusters weighted by age, characterizing the age structure of a globular cluster system. Results. We find that, within our galaxy sample, group galaxies appear to host an intermediate-age globular cluster population, whereas the globular cluster systems in cluster galaxies and in rather isolated galaxies are dominated by an old globular cluster popu- lation. A weak correlation of Mth with the Hβ index of the integrated light of the host galaxies is the only trend found with respect to internal galaxy parameters. Key words. galaxies: star clusters – galaxies: formation – galaxies: evolution – galaxies: fundamental parameters 1. Tracing the star formation episodes in early-type population, consisting of an old stellar population and being sim- galaxies ilar in their basic features (e.g. see Bender & Renzini 2005, and contributions therein). However, detailed spectroscopic investi- The formation, evolution and star formation history of galaxies gations of the integrated light of nearby galaxies revealed a va- remains one of the most active fields in observational astronomy. riety of structural features (e.g. Gorgas et al. 1990; Bender & Based on various photometric and spectroscopic studies of early- Surma 1992; Bender et al. 1992; de Zeeuw et al. 2002, the type galaxies (and their globular cluster systems) our picture of SAURON survey and references therein), that were neither ex- these galaxies as an old, uniform, and rather predictable class of pected nor visible in photometric studies. Counter- or co-rotating objects has changed significantly. cores as well as massive dust shells turned out to be rather com- Various features of early-type galaxies are well explained mon amongst early-type galaxies and are clearly a sign of a more by the commonly accepted formation scenarios, whereas oth- active evolution of these objects. An open question is whether ers are in complete contradiction to it (e.g. Pahre 1999a). The these morphological signatures of a turbulent past also imply a fundamental plane (e.g. Djorgovski & Davis 1987; Dressler significant perturbation of the star formation history of the host et al. 1987), for instance, proved to be compatible over a galaxy. In order to answer this question, sub-populations of dif- long look-back time with an early major star-formation epoch. ferent ages must be detected in the host galaxy, which proved to Overall, early-type galaxies appear to form a very homogeneous be very difficult by using the integrated light only. In contrast, identifying these sub-populations in the globular cluster systems Based on observations at the Very Large Telescope of the European appears to be a more promising route. Southern Observatory, Chile (Program 63.N-0287, 64.N-0102). By representing single stellar populations (SSPs) and as a Founded by merging of the Sternwarte, Radioastronomisches sign of the major star formation episodes, globular clusters are Institut and Institut für Astrophysik und Extraterrestrische Forschung ideal probes of the evolutionary history of the parent galaxy. der Universität Bonn. In order to assemble statistically relevant galaxy samples, Article published by EDP Sciences and available at http://www.aanda.org or http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20066109 494 M. Hempel et al.: Early-type galaxies: compilation Table 1. Relevant properties of our sample galaxies. The information was taken from: (1) de Vaucouleurs et al. (1991); (2) Tully & Fisher (1988); (3) NED Data base and references therein; (4) Pahre (1999b); (5) Beuing et al. (2002). Property NGC 1399 NGC 1426 NGC 3115 NGC 4478 NGC 4365 M 87 NGC 5846 NGC 7192 Location Fornax (cD) Fornax (c) Leo (g) Virgo Virgo (c) Virgo (cD) Virgo-Libra (g) ρ[Mpc−3] (2) 1.59 0.66 0.08 3.92 2.93 4.17 0.84 0.28 m − M (1) 31.14 31.13 29.12 31.13 31.13 31.13 32.27 32.76 Type(1)E1E4S0E2E3E+0-1,pec E0-1 SA0 BT,0 (1) 10.44 12.26 9.74 12.21 10.49 9.49 10.91 12.19 (B − V) (2,3) 1.26 0.89 1.04 0.60 1.05 0.86 1.07 0.97 (V − K)0 (3) 3.28 2.71 3.02 3.09 2.92 2.82 3.12 2.64 MV (2,3) –21.55 –19.74 –20.22 –19.78 –21.57 –22.50 –22.23 –21.52 σ [km s−1] (2) 308 155 264 143 261 333 252 184 Hβ[Å] (5) 1.19 – 1.85 1.84 1.73 1.07 2.02 1.51 (∆Hβ)[Å] (5) (±0.16) – (±0.11) (±0.06) (±0.12) (±0.25) (±0.09) (±0.09) D25(4) 3.3 2.2 6.1 1.9 6.2 9.2 4.9 1.7 Peculiarities radio jet – – – KDC radio dust KDC – – – – – X-ray X-ray - Abbreviations: KDC- kinematically distinct core; c- galaxy cluster; g- galaxy group; cD- central cluster galaxy. representing a specific set of galaxy parameters (e.g. environ- formation and evolution models and to compare them with the ment, luminosity, ...), efficient photometric studies are used. mean ages derived for intermediate and high redshift galaxies. Once the existence of age sub-populations within the globular The method constructs, from color−color diagrams, cumu- cluster system has been established photometrically, more ac- lative age distributions based on a comparison with population curate ages for sub-sets of globular clusters can be determined synthesis isochrones. Cumulative age distributions are computed using spectroscopy (e.g. Puzia et al. 2005). for the observed data, as well as for many Monte-Carlo simula- The combination of optical and near-infrared photometry tions assuming two sub-populations of varying age and relative of globular clusters (e.g. Goudfrooij et al. 2001; Kissler-Patig fraction. The observed and simulated distributions are compared, et al. 2002; Puzia et al. 2002; Hempel & Kissler-Patig 2004) and the best model is assumed for the observed galaxy. Some de- has been introduced in order to reduce the degeneracy of age tails are given below. and metallicity effects and to allow the resolution of globular cluster age sub-populations. With the availability of infrared im- 2.2. The observational basis: color–color diagrams agers on 8−10 m class telescopes, such as ISAAC (Infrared Spectrometer And Array Camera) at the Very Large Telescope The observational basis of the method are the optical-infrared (VLT) or space based instruments (e.g. NICMOS on board color−color diagrams. They are shown in Fig. 1 for our eight Hubble Space Telescope or IRAC on board the Spitzer Space sample galaxies. From these, it becomes clear that a direct pho- Telescope) we are now able to complement, for a large galaxy tometric determination of the absolute ages of individual globu- sample, the vast number of optical data sets with infrared data. lar clusters is not possible. Here we present results of our ongoing study on early-type However, the density distribution of objects in a diagram can galaxies, which includes 8 galaxies, varying in parameters such be compared to the location of simple stellar population (SSP) as environment (represented by the Tully density parameter ρ), models. In our analysis, we used models by Bruzual & Charlot luminosity, velocity dispersion, and color. Basic information on (2003); Vazdekis (1999); Maraston (2005) to probe the model the galaxy sample is given in Table 1. dependence of our results. A visual inspection of Fig. 1 allows us to identify differences between the various galaxies: most sys- tems have the majority of their clusters scattered around the old- 2. The age structure of a globular cluster system est (here 13 Gyr) isochrone, while a few systems show a large fraction of clusters below that isochrone, i.e.