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Ultra-compact dwarf galaxies: a new class of compact stellar system discovered in the Fornax Cluster

2001/06/20 by M. J. Drinkwater, K. Bekki, Drinkwater, M. J. +9
Physics and Astronomy · #Astrophysics (astro-ph) #FOS: Physical sciences #astro-ph

paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.astro-ph/0106375

To appear in IAU Symposium 207: Extragalactic Star Clusters

arxiv created 2001/06/20 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01

Abstract

We have used the 2dF spectrograph on the Anglo-Australian Telescope to obtain a complete spectroscopic sample of all objects in the magnitude range, Bj= 16.5 to 19.8, regardless of morphology, in an area centred on the Fornax Cluster of galaxies. Among the unresolved targets are five objects which are members of the Fornax Cluster. They are extremely compact stellar systems with scale lengths less than 40 parsecs. These ultra-compact dwarfs are unlike any known type of stellar system, being more compact and significantly less luminous than other compact dwarf galaxies, yet much brighter than any globular cluster.

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