Stellar populations of Galactic Globular Cluster $\omega$ Cen using HST/WFC3 near-UV observations

  • 발행 : 2010.04.06

초록

The most massive galactic globular cluster, $\omega$ Cen has been observed using recently mounted WFC3/UVIS cameras of Hubble Space Telescope at both near-UV and optical bands. We present the photometry of stars in the central region of $\omega$ Cen in F225W, F275W and F336W bands. The near-UV color-magnitude diagrams and color-color diagrams of stars in $\omega$ Cen show multiple red giant branches and main sequences as already discovered in both ground-based and HST/ACS observations in the optical bands. We modelled the stellar populations of $\omega$ Cen using Yonsei Isochrone, where $\alpha$-particles and helium enhancement processes have been included properly. We compare the best-fit stellar populations obtained from the current near-UV observations to the suggested stellar population models based on optical band data. We also discuss the methodological issues arising when dealing with the near-UV observations; red-leak in near-UV filters and the huge interstellar extinction in near-UV bands compared to the optical bands and its non-linear effect in color-magnitude diagrams.

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