The Stellar Content and Structure of the Globular Cluster NGC 5053
Abstract
Results of observations of five overlapping fields in the metal-poor globular cluster NGC 5053 are presented. The data are used to obtain deep star counts covering an east-west strip extending through the cluser center to close to the tidal radius. From the star counts alone, a minimum mass-to-visual light ratio of 0.68 + or - 0.07 is determined. The degree of mass segregation is found to be broadly consistent with the predictions of multimass King models appropriate to NGC 5053. The projected mass and number density profiles for the cluster are fitted with a series of representative multimass King models. The recently determined value for the velocity dispersion of the cluster giants, together with the present global mass function, leads to a global mass-to-visual-light ratio of about 1.2. It is inferred that the cluster main-sequence mass function is abruptly truncated at the observational limit of the present data.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- October 1991
- DOI:
- 10.1086/170568
- Bibcode:
- 1991ApJ...380..124F
- Keywords:
-
- Globular Clusters;
- Stellar Composition;
- Stellar Evolution;
- Stellar Structure;
- Mass To Light Ratios;
- Stellar Luminosity;
- Astrophysics;
- CLUSTERS: GLOBULAR;
- LUMINOSITY FUNCTION;
- STARS: ABUNDANCES;
- STARS: EVOLUTION