Issue |
A&A
Volume 456, Number 3, September IV 2006
|
|
---|---|---|
Page(s) | 985 - 999 | |
Section | Galactic structure, stellar clusters, and populations | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20065309 | |
Published online | 06 September 2006 |
An updated survey of globular clusters in M 31
I. Classification and radial velocity for 76 candidate clusters
1
Università di Bologna, Dipartimento di Astronomia via Ranzani 1, 40127 Bologna, Italy e-mail: silvia.galleti2@unibo.it
2
INAF – Osservatorio Astronomico di Bologna, via Ranzani 1, 40127 Bologna, Italy e-mail: [michele.bellazzini; luciana.federici; alberto.buzzoni; flavio.fusipecci]@oabo.inaf.it
Received:
29
March
2006
Accepted:
15
May
2006
Aims.We present the first results of a large spectroscopic survey of globular clusters and candidate globular clusters in the nearby M 31 galaxy. The survey is aimed at the classification of known candidate M 31 clusters and at the study of their kinematic properties.
Methods.We obtained low-resolution spectroscopy () for 133 targets, including 76 yet-to-be-confirmed candidate clusters
(i.e. with no previous spectroscopic information), 55 already-confirmed
genuine M 31 clusters, and 2 uncertain candidates. Our observations
allowed a reliable estimate of the target radial velocity, within
a typical accuracy of ~
km s-1.
The observed candidates have been robustly
classified according to their radial velocity and shape parameters
that allowed us to confidently discriminate between point sources and extended
objects even from low-spatial-resolution imagery.
Results.In our set of 76 candidate clusters we found: 42 newly-confirmed bona-fide M 31 clusters, 12 background galaxies, 17 foreground Galactic stars, 2 Hii regions belonging to M 31 and 3 unclassified (possibly M 31 clusters or foreground stars) objects. The classification of a few other candidates not included in our survey has been also reassessed on various observational bases. All the sources of radial velocity estimates for M 31 known globular clusters available in the literature have been compared and checked, and a homogeneous general list has been obtained for 349 confirmed clusters with radial velocity.
Conclusions.Our results suggest that a significant number of genuine clusters (≳100) is still hidden among the plethora of known candidates proposed by various authors. Hence our knowledge of the globular cluster system of the M 31 galaxy is still far from complete even in terms of simple membership.
Key words: galaxies: individual: M 31 / galaxies: star clusters / galaxies: Local Group
© ESO, 2006
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