The HST/ACS Coma Cluster Survey. X. Nuclear star clusters in low-mass early-type galaxies: scaling relations

TL;DR

This study investigates the properties and scaling relations of nuclear star clusters in low-mass early-type galaxies within the Coma Cluster, revealing their formation mechanisms and structural dependencies.

Contribution

It provides a large, detailed analysis of nuclear star clusters in dwarf galaxies, confirming their prevalence and exploring their scaling relations with host galaxy properties.

Findings

Nuclear star clusters are detected in 80% of the sample.

Cluster luminosities scale with host galaxy luminosity as L_nuc ∼ L_gal^0.57.

Formation by globular cluster accretion is supported by the scaling relations.

Abstract

We present scaling relations between structural properties of nuclear star clusters and their host galaxies for a sample of early-type dwarf galaxies observed as part of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) Coma Cluster Survey. We have analysed the light profiles of 200 early-type dwarf galaxies in the magnitude range $16.0 < m_{F814W} < 22.6 $ mag, corresponding to $-19.0 < M_{F814W} < -12.4 $ mag. Nuclear star clusters are detected in 80% of the galaxies, thus doubling the sample of HST-observed early-type dwarf galaxies with nuclear star clusters. \changed{We confirm that the} nuclear star cluster detection fraction decreases strongly toward faint magnitudes. The luminosities of nuclear star clusters do not scale linearly with host galaxy luminosity. A linear fit yields L$_{nuc} \sim $L$_{gal}^{0.57\pm0.05}$. The nuclear star cluster-host galaxy luminosity scaling relation for low-mass early-type dwarf galaxies is consistent with formation by globular cluster accretion. We find that at similar luminosities, galaxies with higher S\'ersic indices have slightly more luminous nuclear star clusters. Rounder galaxies have on average more luminous clusters. Some of the nuclear star clusters are resolved, despite the distance of Coma. We argue that the relation between nuclear star cluster mass and size is consistent with both formation by globular cluster accretion and in situ formation. Our data are consistent with GC inspiraling being the dominant mechanism at low masses, although the observed trend with S\'ersic index suggests that in situ star formation is an important second order effect.