The Color Distributions of Globular Clusters in Virgo Elliptical Galaxies

Abstract

This Letter presents the color distributions of the globular cluster (GC) systems of 12 Virgo elliptical galaxies, measured using data from the Hubble Space Telescope. Bright galaxies with large numbers of detected GCs show two distinct cluster populations with mean V-I colors near 1.01 and 1.26. The GC population of M86 is a clear exception; its color distribution shows a single, sharp peak near V-I=1.03. The absence of the red population in this galaxy, and the consistency of the peak colors in the others, may be indications of the origins of the two populations found in most bright elliptical galaxies.