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[52.13] SDSS Globular Cluster Candidates Around M31

S.A. Bates, J.A. Holtzman, R.A.M. Walterbos (NMSU)

We identify globular cluster candidates around M31 using Sloan Digital Sky Survey photometric data. A catalog of existing globular clusters (Barmby 2001) is used to identify regions of photometric parameter space in which globulars are found; our criteria include magnitudes, ellipticities, colors, FWHMs, and petrosian radii. The distribution of GCs in multi-dimensional space allows us to differentiate, at some level, potential GCs from other objects. Unfortunately, the known globulars appear to occupy a fairly large region in the multi-dimensional space. Our goal is to identify high-likelihood candidates for follow-up spectroscopy. Increasing the number of known globular clusters in M31, especially at large radii, would have implications for understanding the mass distribution in M31 and the origin of the clusters.

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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 35#5
© 2003. The American Astronomical Soceity.