Metal Abundance Properties of M81 Globular Cluster System

TL;DR

This study analyzes the spatial distribution and metallicity properties of 95 globular clusters in M81, revealing differences from other galaxies and suggesting complex formation processes.

Contribution

It provides detailed spatial and metallicity analysis of M81's globular clusters, highlighting differences from M31 and the Milky Way.

Findings

Metal-rich clusters are less centrally concentrated than in M31.

Metal-rich clusters mainly distribute within 4-8 kpc.

Metal-poor clusters extend out to ~40 kpc.

Abstract

This paper is the third in the series of papers on M81 globular clusters. In this paper, we present spatial and metal abundance properties of 95 M81 globular clusters, which comprise nearly half of all the M81 globular cluster system. These globular clusters are divided into two M81 metallicity groups by a KMM test. Our results show that, the metal-rich clusters did not demonstrate a centrally concentrated spatial distribution as ones in M31, and metal-poor clusters tend to be less spatially concentrated. In other words, the distribution of the metal-rich clusters in M81 is not very similar to that of M31. Most of the metal-rich clusters distribute at projected radii of 4-8 kpc. It is also noted that the metal-rich clusters distribute within the inner 20 kpc, and the metal-poor ones do out to radii of ~40 kpc. Like our Galaxy and M31, the metallicity distribution of globular clusters in M81 along galactocentric radius suggests that some dissipation occurred during the formation of the globular cluster system, i.e. smooth, pressure-supported collapse models of galaxies are unlikely to produce such radial distribution of metallicity presented in this paper. There is not evident correlation between globular cluster luminosity and metallicity in M81 globular clusters. The overwhelming conclusion of this paper seems to be that a more complete and thorough cluster search is needed in M81.