Scaling relations for globular cluster systems in early-type galaxies – III. The inner flattening of the radial distributions

Abstract

The current properties of globular cluster systems (GCSs) in the nearby Universe are a consequence of an evolutionary history ruled by accretion and disruption processes. The analysis of scaling relations for GCSs is crucial for understanding the relevance of different physical processes involved in their origin and subsequent survival. In this work, radial profiles are calculated for a sample of GCSs associated with nearby massive galaxies. This is supplemented with results from our previous papers, achieving a total sample of 53 GCSs with radial profiles homogeneously calculated, and spanning more than two orders of magnitude in stellar mass of the host galaxy. Scaling relations involving different parameters of the GCSs are obtained for the entire sample, and their significance in terms of different scenarios is considered. Finally, the results are analysed in the literature context.

Utilizing Voronoi Tessellations to Determine Radial Density Profiles

“…These density values are then plotted as a function of radius to which a density profile can then be fit. This method had been applied observationally to stars in open star clusters (e.g., Alfonso & García-Varela 2023;Belwal et al 2024;Bisht et al 2024), stars in GCs (e.g., Knödlseder 2000;Dalessandro et al 2015;Simpson et al 2017), systems of GCs around galaxies (e.g., Harris et al 2015Harris et al , 2016Harris & Mulholland 2017;Dornan & Harris 2023;Caso et al 2024;Ines Ennis et al 2024), galaxies within galaxy clusters (e.g., Popesso et al 2007;Newman et al 2013;Fassbender et al 2014;Tozuka et al 2021), and compact radio sources at the center of the Galaxy (Zhao et al 2022).…”