Pfleiderer2: identification of a new globular cluster in the Galaxy

TL;DR

This paper reports the discovery and analysis of Pfleiderer 2, a new globular cluster in the Milky Way, characterized by high metallicity, specific CMD features, and unusual galactic positioning.

Contribution

It introduces Pfleiderer 2 as a newly identified globular cluster with detailed photometric analysis and unique galactic location.

Findings

Pfleiderer 2 is a high-metallicity globular cluster.

Located 16 kpc from the Sun and 2.7 kpc above the Galactic plane.

Features a tilted Red Giant Branch and red Horizontal Branch.

Abstract

We provide evidence that indicate the star cluster Pfleiderer 2, which is projected in a rich field, as a newly identified Galactic globular cluster. Since it is located in a crowded field, core extraction and decontamination tools were applied to reveal the cluster sequences in B, V and I Color-Magnitude Diagrams (CMDs). The main CMD features of Pfleiderer 2 are a tilted Red Giant Branch, and a red Horizontal Branch, indicating a high metallicity around solar. The reddening is E(B-V)=1.01. The globular cluster is located at a distance from the Sun d$_{\odot}$ = 16$\pm$2 kpc. The cluster is located at 2.7 kpc above the Galactic plane and at a distance from the Galactic center of R$_{\rm GC}$=9.7 kpc, which is unusual for a metal-rich globular cluster.