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The formation and evolution of bulges as traced by globular cluster systems

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 July 2007

Duncan A. Forbes  and
Lee Spitler
Duncan A. Forbes
Affiliation:
Centre for Astrophysics & Supercomputing, Swinburne University, Hawthorn VIC 3122, Australia email: dforbes@swin.edu.au
Lee Spitler
Affiliation:
Centre for Astrophysics & Supercomputing, Swinburne University, Hawthorn VIC 3122, Australia email: dforbes@swin.edu.au
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Abstract

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Globular Clusters provide a unique method for tracing the formation and evolution of their host galaxies. As single stellar populations they are far easier to interpret than the multi-population complexity of galaxy field stars. The scaling properties of globular clusters provide important constraints on the hierarchical assembly history of galaxies. Here we briefly review recent progress using the Hubble Space Telescope for imaging and the Keck plus Gemini telescopes for spectroscopy. We argue that the red, or metal-rich, subpopulation of GCs is associated with the bulge/spheroid component of galaxies. As one of the oldest stellar systems available for study, we discuss how globular clusters can be used to constrain the formation of galaxy bulges, in particular the role of mergers vs secular evolution. We conclude that metal-rich GCs, and hence bulges, formed very early in the Universe with more recent mergers having a small effect at most.

Keywords

globular clusters: generalgalaxies: bulgesgalaxies: evolution
Type
Contributed Papers
Information
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 3 , Symposium S245: Formation and Evolution of Galaxy Bulges , July 2007 , pp. 281 - 284
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2008

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