Isolated elliptical galaxies and their globular cluster systems: II. NGC 7796 – globular clusters, dynamics, companion

Rich globular cluster systems, particularly the metal-poor part of them, are thought to be the visible manifestations of long-term accretion processes. We investigate the globular cluster system of the isolated elliptical NGC 7796, present new photometry of the galaxy, and use published kinematical...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Astronomy and astrophysics (Berlin) 2015-02, Vol.574, p.A21
Main Authors: Richtler, T, Salinas, R, Lane, R R, Hilker, M, Schirmer, M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anisotropy
Dwarf galaxies
Dynamical systems
Elliptical galaxies
Globular clusters
Indication
Mathematical models
Photometry
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Summary:Rich globular cluster systems, particularly the metal-poor part of them, are thought to be the visible manifestations of long-term accretion processes. We investigate the globular cluster system of the isolated elliptical NGC 7796, present new photometry of the galaxy, and use published kinematical data to constrain the dark matter content. Deep images in B and R, obtained with the VIsible MultiObject Spectrograph (VIMOS) at the VLT, form the data base. We performed photometry with DAOPHOT and constructed a spherical photometric model. We present isotropic and anisotropic Jeans-models and give a morphological description of the companion dwarf galaxy. NGC 7796 is an old, massive isolated elliptical galaxy with no indications of later major star formation events as seen frequently in other isolated ellipticals. Its relatively rich globular cluster system shows that isolation does not always mean a poor cluster system. The properties of the dwarf companion might indicate a dwarf-dwarf merger.
ISSN:0004-6361
1432-0746
DOI:10.1051/0004-6361/201424530