Globular Cluster Systems of Massive Compact Elliptical Galaxies in the Local Universe: Evidence for Relic Red Nuggets?

TL;DR

This study investigates globular cluster systems in nearby massive compact elliptical galaxies, finding that most are relic galaxies with predominantly red, metal-rich GCs, indicating early formation and limited subsequent mergers.

Contribution

It provides new evidence that most local MCEGs are relics with red GC populations, highlighting their early formation and minimal merger history compared to other galaxies.

Findings

Most MCEGs host rich GC populations with significant red fractions.

Cluster MCEGs have higher red GC fractions than field/group MCEGs.

Red GC fractions in MCEGs are higher than in similar-mass Virgo early-type galaxies.

Abstract

Nearby massive compact elliptical galaxies (MCEGs) are strong candidates for relic galaxies (i.e. local analogs of red nuggets at high redshifts). It is expected that the globular cluster (GC) systems of relic galaxies are dominated by red (metal-rich) GCs. NGC 1277 is known as a unique example of such a galaxy in the previous study. In this study, we search for GCs in 12 nearby MCEGs at distances of $\lesssim 100$ Mpc from the Hubble Space Telescope/Wide Field Camera 3 F814W($I_{814}$)/F160W($H_{160}$) archival images. We find that most of these MCEGs host a rich population of GCs with a color range of $0.0<(I_{814}-H_{160})_0<1.1$. The fractions of their red GCs range from $f_{RGC} =0.2$ to 0.7 with a mean of $f_{RGC} =0.48\pm0.14$. We divide the MCEG sample into two groups: one in clusters and the other in groups/fields. The mean red GC fraction of the cluster MCEGs is $0.60\pm0.06$, which is 0.2 larger than the value of the group/field MCEGs, $0.40\pm0.10$. The value for the cluster MCEGs is $\sim$0.3 larger than the mean value of giant early-type galaxies with similar stellar mass in the Virgo cluster ($f_{RGC} =0.33\pm0.13$). Our results show that most of the MCEGs in our sample are indeed relic galaxies. This further implies that a majority of the red GCs in MCEGs are formed early in massive galaxies and that most MCEGs in the local universe have rarely undergone mergers after they became red nuggets about 10 Gyr ago.