Far-Ultraviolet Surveys of Globular Clusters: Searching for the Products of Stellar Collisions and Near Misses
Knigge, C.; Charles, P. A.; Long, K. S.; Gilliland, R. L.; Zurek, D. R.; Shara, M. M.
United Kingdom
Abstract
Far-ultraviolet (FUV) observations with the Hubble Space Telescope are an excellent way to find and study the hot, blue stellar populations in the cores of globular clusters. These populations include dynamically-formed blue stragglers and interacting binaries (such as cataclysmic variables, i.e. the products of stellar collisions and near misses. Using the cluster 47 Tuc as an example, we show how the combination of FUV imaging and slitless spectroscopy can be used to uncover and study these populations.