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K. Hiner (California State Polytechnic University, Pomona), E. Sandquist (California State University, San Diego)
NGC 5053 is of interest in the study of blue straggler stars, because of its relatively high luminosity compared to other clusters of like density. We present photometry for the blue straggler stars in globular cluster NGC 5053 and compare the cluster to others. We have examined lists of previously identified stragglers and present a unified sample including newly discovered stragglers. The radial distribution of the blue straggler specific frequency, characterized by the Rbss value, in NGC 5053 is found to be similar to that of other globular clusters within the first few core radii. In agreement with other clusters, NGC 5053 is found to have a significantly lower blue straggler frequency than the open Galaxy as estimated by Preston and Sneden (2000). In addition, we find that NGC 5053 fits into the previously discovered trend of blue straggler frequency to luminosity among clusters (Piotto et al. 2004). NGC 5053 also has a lower blue straggler star frequency compared to clusters of similar central density. This indicates that cluster luminosity has a stronger relationship than cluster density to blue straggler frequency.
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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 37 #4
© 2005. The American Astronomical Soceity.