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The postcollapse core of M15 imaged with the HST planetary camera

Authors :
Lauer, Tod R
Holtzman, Jon A
Faber, S. M
Baum, William A
Currie, Douglas G
Ewald, S. P
Groth, Edward J
Hester, J. Jeff
Kelsall, T
Source :
Astrophysical Journal, Part 2 - Letters. 369
Publication Year :
1991
Publisher :
United States: NASA Center for Aerospace Information (CASI), 1991.

Abstract

It is shown here that, despite the severe spherical aberration present in the HST, the Wide Field/Planetary Camera (WFPC) images still present useful high-resolution information on M15, the classic candidate for a cluster with a collapsed core. The stars in M15 have been resolved down to the main-sequence turnoff and have been subtracted from the images. The remaining faint, unresolved stars form a diffuse background with a surprisingly large core with r(c) = 0.13 pc. The existence of a large core interior to the power-law cusp may imply that M15 has evolved well past maximum core collapse and may rule out the presence of a massive central black hole as well.

Subjects

Subjects :
Astrophysics

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
0004637X
Volume :
369
Database :
NASA Technical Reports
Journal :
Astrophysical Journal, Part 2 - Letters
Notes :
NAS5-25421
Publication Type :
Report
Accession number :
edsnas.19910041863
Document Type :
Report
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1086/185955