A new method to detect globular clusters with the S-PLUS survey

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel multi-step method utilizing S-PLUS survey data, Gaia proper motions, and template fitting to identify and analyze globular clusters around nearby galaxies, including their velocities and stellar populations.

Contribution

The paper presents a new approach combining galaxy subtraction, template fitting, and Gaia data to detect and characterize globular clusters in a multi-band survey.

Findings

Successfully identified GCs around NGC 1399 and NGC 3115.

Measured radial velocities, ages, and metallicities of GCs.

Achieved reliable photometry despite survey depth limitations.

Abstract

In this paper, we describe a new method to select globular cluster (GC) candidates, including galaxy subtraction with unsharp masking, template fitting techniques and the inclusion of Gaia's proper motions. We report the use of the 12-band photometric system of S-PLUS to determine radial velocities and stellar populations of GCs around nearby galaxies. Specifically, we assess the effectiveness of identifying GCs around nearby and massive galaxies (D $< 20$ Mpc and $\sigma > 200$ km/s) in a multi-band survey such as S-PLUS by using spectroscopically confirmed GCs and literature GC candidate lists around the bright central galaxy in the Fornax cluster, NGC 1399 (D = 19 Mpc), and the isolated lenticular galaxy NGC 3115 (D = 9.4 Mpc). Despite the shallow survey depth, that limits the present work to $r < 21.3$ mag, we measure reliable photometry and perform robust SED fitting for a sample of 115 GCs around NGC 1399 and 42 GCs around NGC 3115, recovering radial velocities, ages, and metallicities for the GC populations.