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Title:
The Dynamical Mass-to-Light Ratio Profile and Distance of the Globular Cluster M15
Authors:
van den Bosch, Remco; de Zeeuw, Tim; Gebhardt, Karl; Noyola, Eva; van de Ven, Glenn
Affiliation:
AA(Sterrewacht Leiden, Postbus 9513, 2300 RA Leiden, Netherlands.), AB(Sterrewacht Leiden, Postbus 9513, 2300 RA Leiden, Netherlands.), AC(Astronomy Department, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712.), AD(Astronomy Department, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712.), AE(Sterrewacht Leiden, Postbus 9513, 2300 RA Leiden, Netherlands.)
Publication:
The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 641, Issue 2, pp. 852-861. (ApJ Homepage)
Publication Date:
04/2006
Origin:
UCP
ApJ Keywords:
Black Hole Physics, Cosmology: Distance Scale, Galaxy: Globular Clusters: Individual: Messier Number: M15, Stars: Kinematics, Stellar Dynamics
DOI:
10.1086/500644
Bibliographic Code:
2006ApJ...641..852V

Abstract

We construct orbit-based axisymmetric dynamical models for the globular cluster M15 that fit ground-based line-of-sight velocities and Hubble Space Telescope line-of-sight velocities and proper motions. This allows us to constrain the variation of the mass-to-light ratio M/L as a function of radius in the cluster and to measure the distance and inclination of the cluster. We obtain a best-fitting inclination of 60deg+/-15deg, a dynamical distance of 10.3+/-0.4 kpc, and an M/L profile with a central peak. The inferred mass in the central 0.05 pc is 3400 Msolar, implying a central density of at least 7.4×106 Msolar pc-3. We cannot distinguish the nature of the central mass concentration. It could be an intermediate mass black hole, or it could be a large number of compact objects, or it could be a combination. The central 4" of M15 appears to contain a rapidly spinning core, and we speculate on its origin.

Based on observations with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope obtained at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA), Inc., under NASA contract NAS5-26555.

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