Spectroscopic hint of a cold stream in the direction of the globular cluster NGC 1851

Sollima, A.; Gratton, R. G.; Carballo-Bello, J. A.; Martinez-Delgado, D.; Carretta, E.; Bragaglia, A.; Lucatello, S.; Penarrubia, J.

Abstract

We present the results of a spectroscopic survey performed in the outskirts of the globular cluster NGC 1851 with VIsible MultiObject Spectrograph (VIMOS)/Very Large Telescope (VLT). The radial velocities of 107 stars in a region between 12 and 33?arcmin around the cluster have been derived. We clearly identify the cluster stellar population over the entire field of view, indicating the presence of a significant fraction of stars outside the tidal radius predicted by King models. We also find tentative evidence of a cold (sv = 20?km?s-1) peak in the distribution of velocities at vr similar to 180?km?s-1 constituted mainly by main-sequence stars whose location in the colourmagnitude diagram is compatible with a stream at a similar distance to this cluster. If confirmed, this evidence would strongly support the extragalactic origin of this feature.

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Título según WOS: ID WOS:000309456200026 Not found in local WOS DB
Título de la Revista: MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY
Volumen: 426
Número: 2
Editorial: OXFORD UNIV PRESS
Fecha de publicación: 2012
Página de inicio: 1137
Página final: 1143
DOI:

10.1111/j.1365-2966.2012.21803.x

Notas: ISI