Globular Clusters in Elliptical Galaxies: Constraints on Mergers

Abstract

Understanding the formation of globular clusters will help us to constrain the evolutionary history of galaxies. For mergers on-going today, it appears that the number of newly created proto-globulars varies with the progenitor types and that the percentage increase in the total cluster population is 100% or less. Elliptical galaxies, which are generally thought to be the end-result of such mergers, often show evidence for two populations of globular clusters. This has been taken as support for the merger picture but we show that there are several problems when examined in detail. Strong evidence for an elliptical galaxy with a single population of globular clusters is also presented. Implications for galaxy formation are briefly mentioned.