The ACS Survey of Galactic Globular Clusters. VI. NGC 6366: A Heavily Stripped Galactic Globular Cluster

Paust, Nathaniel E. Q.; Aparicio, Antonio; Piotto, Giampaolo; Reid, I. Neill; Anderson, Jay; Sarajedini, Ata; Bedin, Luigi R.; Chaboyer, Brian; Dotter, Aaron; Hempel, Maren; Majewski, Steven; Marín-Franch, A.; Milone, Antonino; Rosenberg, Alfred; Siegel, Michael
Bibliographical reference

The Astronomical Journal, Volume 137, Issue 1, pp. 246-256 (2009).

Advertised on:
1
2009
Number of authors
15
IAC number of authors
3
Citations
23
Refereed citations
22
Description
We have used observations obtained as part of the Hubble Space Telescope/ACS Survey of Galactic globular clusters (GCs) to construct a color-magnitude diagram for the bulge cluster, NGC 6366. The luminosity function derived from those data extends to M F606W ~ 9, or masses of ~0.3 M sun. Unlike most GCs, the mass function peaks near the main-sequence turnoff with significantly fewer low-mass stars even after correction for completeness and mass segregation. Using a multimass King model, we extrapolate the global cluster behavior and find the global mass function to be poorly matched by a power law, with a particular deficit of stars with masses between 0.5 and 0.7 M sun. We briefly discuss this interesting anomaly within the context of tidal stripping. Based on observations made with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtained at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under NASA contract NAS 5-26555. These observations are associated with program GO-10775.
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