The innermost globular clusters of M87

Abstract

We present a comprehensive multiwavelength photometric analysis of the innermost (∼3 × 3 kpc²) 110 globular clusters (GCs) of M87. Their spectral energy distributions (SEDs) were built taking advantage of new ground-based high-resolution near-infrared imaging aided by adaptive optics at the Very Large Telescope combined with Hubble Space Telescope ultraviolet-optical archival data. These GC SEDs are among the best photometrically sampled extragalactic GC SEDs. To compare with our SEDs we constructed equally sampled SEDs of Milky Way GCs. Using both these Milky Way cluster templates and different stellar population models, ages of >10 Gyr and metallicities of [Fe/H] ∼-0.6 dex are consistently inferred for the inner GCs of M87. In addition, the metallicity of these GCs is low (Δ[Fe/H] ∼0.8 dex) compared to that of their host galaxy. These results agree with the idea that the GC formation in M87 ceased earlier than that of the bulk of the stars of the central part of the galaxy. The ages of the inner GCs of M87 support the idea that these central parts of the galaxy formed first. Our data do not support evidence of recent wet merging.