Deep multi-telescope photometry of NGC 5466. I. Blue Stragglers and binary systems

TL;DR

This study analyzes the radial distribution of blue straggler stars and binary systems in NGC 5466, revealing bimodal patterns that inform the cluster's dynamical age and binary evolution processes.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed bimodal radial distribution analysis of blue stragglers and binaries in NGC 5466, linking their distribution to cluster dynamical evolution.

Findings

Blue stragglers show a bimodal distribution with a central peak and an internal minimum.

Binary systems may also have a bimodal distribution aligned with blue stragglers.

The cluster's dynamical age is relatively young, consistent with the 'dynamical clock' concept.

Abstract

We present a detailed investigation of the radial distribution of blue straggler star and binary populations in the Galactic globular cluster NGC 5466, over the entire extension of the system. We used a combination of data acquired with the ACS on board the Hubble Space Telescope, the LBC-blue mounted on the Large Binocular Telescope, and MEGACAM on the Canadian-France-Hawaii Telescope. Blue straggler stars show a bimodal distribution with a mild central peak and a quite internal minimum. This feature is interpreted in terms of a relatively young dynamical age in the framework of the "dynamical clock" concept proposed by Ferraro et al. (2012). The estimated fraction of binaries is 6-7% in the central region (r<90") and slightly lower (5.5%) in the outskirts, at r>200". Quite interestingly, the comparison with the results of Milone et al. (2012) suggests that also binary systems may display a bimodal radial distribution, with the position of the minimum consistent with that of blue straggler stars. If confirmed, this feature would give additional support to the scenario where the radial distribution of objects more massive than the average cluster stars is primarily shaped by the effect of dynamical friction. Moreover, this would also be consistent with the idea that the unperturbed evolution of primordial binaries could be the dominant BSS formation process in low-density environments.