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The Main Sequence Luminosity Function of Palomar 5 from HST | | Carl J. Grillmair
; Graeme H. Smith
; | | Date: |
18 Oct 2001 | | Subject: | astro-ph | | Affiliation: | SIRTF Science Center) and Graeme H. Smith (UCO/Lick | | Abstract: | A low mass, large core radius, and strong tidal tails suggest that the globular cluster Palomar 5 has lost a large fraction of its initial mass over time. If the dynamical evolution of Palomar 5 has been dominated by the effects of mass loss, then the luminosity function should be deficient in low-mass stars. Using deep WFPC2 F555W and F814W photometry, we determine the main sequence luminosity functions both near the cluster center and in a field near the half-light radius. There is no compelling evidence for mass segregation within the cluster, but a comparison of the global mass function of Palomar 5 with those of Omega Cen and M55 indicates an increasing deficiency of stars with progressively lower masses. A fit of the observed luminosity function to theoretical models yields a power-law mass function with an exponent of -0.5. The flatness of the mass function is consistent with models of the dynamical evolution of globular clusters that have lost on the order of 90% of their original stellar mass. We suggest that Palomar 5 has lost a large percentage of its original stellar content as a result of tidal shocking. | | Source: | arXiv, astro-ph/0110411 | | Services: | Forum | Review | PDF | Favorites | |
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