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利用哈勃空间望远镜数据对NGC 6652中心密度轮廓的研究

Investigation on the Central Density Profile of NGC 6652 Using Hubble Space Telescope Data

  • 摘要: 依据动力学理论模型, 球状星团的表面亮度分布或恒星密度轮廓可以反映其演化历史. 其中, 在星团中心发生的核区坍缩事件是星团演化后期最为剧烈和重要的过程之一. 经历核区坍缩后, 星团中心的恒星密度急剧上升, 中心密度轮廓由平缓的核转变为陡峭的幂律形式的“密度尖峰”. 探测球状星团中心是否存在密度尖峰, 可以判断其是否经历过核区坍缩, 从而为揭示其动力学演化历史提供重要线索. 在早年的研究中, 球状星团NGC 6652一直被认定为非核区坍缩型星团, 后续的一些研究则检测到其表面亮度分布的中心处存在陡峭的密度尖峰. 因此, 关于NGC 6652是否经历过核区坍缩存在争议. 研究结合哈勃空间望远镜(Hubble Space Telescope)的高空间分辨率数据与盖亚望远镜(Gaia Space Telescope)数据来探究NGC 6652中心是否存在密度尖峰. 通过选取处于主序演化阶段后的恒星, 使哈勃空间望远镜与盖亚望远镜数据的样本恒星具有相近的质量范围. 在此基础上, 结合盖亚早期第3次数据发布(Gaia Early Data Release 3)星表剔除了大部分非成员星. 然而, 通过对比TRILEGAL (TRIdimensional modeL of thE GALaxy)模拟的银河系场星在颜色-星等图(Color-magnitude diagram, CMD)上的分布, 可以发现仅依靠盖亚望远镜数据仍无法完全去除场星污染. 为最终获得较为纯净的成员星样本, 可以进一步利用CMD剔除部分非成员星. 结果显示, 基于该纯净成员星样本构建的密度轮廓在中心区域呈现平坦特征, 并未出现尖峰. 由此认为, NGC 6652可能并未经历过核区坍缩. 研究还发现, 未经过CMD剔除场星污染所构建的密度轮廓在中心会呈现明显的密度尖峰. 这表明, 前人将NGC 6652归类为经历过核区坍缩的星团的结论, 很可能是源于未能充分扣除银河系场星污染. 另外, 研究还表明盖亚早期第3次数据发布在剔除NGC 6652场星污染方面仍存在局限, 未来中国空间站巡天空间望远镜(Chinese Space-station Survey Telescope)的观测或许有助于进一步解决这一问题.

     

    Abstract: According to dynamical models, the surface brightness profile or stellar density profile of a globular cluster can trace its evolutionary history. Among the various stages of evolution, core collapse occurring at the cluster center is one of the most dramatic and important processes in the late stages. After core collapse, the stellar density in the central region increases sharply, and the central density profile transitions from a flat core to a steep, power-law-like “density cusp”. Detecting whether a density cusp exists in the center of a globular cluster can therefore indicate whether it has undergone core collapse, providing key clues to its dynamical evolution. In early studies, NGC 6652 was generally classified as a non-core-collapsed cluster. However, later studies detected a steep density cusp in its central surface brightness distribution, leading to debate over whether it has in fact undergone core collapse. This study combines high-resolution data from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) with Gaia Space Telescope data to investigate whether a density cusp exists at the center of NGC 6652. By selecting stars in post-main-sequence evolutionary stages, we ensured that the HST and Gaia samples cover a similar mass range. We then used Gaia Early Data Release 3 (Gaia EDR3) astrometry to remove some non-member stars. However, by comparing with the color-magnitude diagram (CMD) of Galactic field stars simulated using TRIdimensional modeL of thE GALaxy (TRILEGAL), it became clear that field star contamination could not be fully removed using Gaia EDR3 data alone. We therefore need to further clean the sample using CMD, ultimately obtaining a relatively clean member star sample. The density profile constructed from this cleaned sample shows a flat central region with no evidence of a cusp. We therefore conclude that NGC 6652 may not have undergone core collapse. We also found that the density profile constructed without removing field stars via the CMD does show a prominent central density cusp. This suggests that previous classifications of NGC 6652 as a core-collapsed cluster may have been influenced by insufficient subtraction of Galactic field star contamination. In addition, our results indicate the limitations of Gaia EDR3 data in removing field stars from the central region of NGC 6652. Future observations with the China Space Station Telescope may help to further address this issue.

     

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