Open AccessTidal radii of globular clusters and the mass of the Milky Way
Author(s) -
Bellazzini M.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
monthly notices of the royal astronomical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.058
H-Index - 383
eISSN - 1365-2966
pISSN - 0035-8711
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2004.07181.x
Subject(s) - physics , globular cluster , milky way , astrophysics , galaxy , astronomy
Tidal radii of remote globular clusters ( R GC ≥ 35 kpc) are used to provide constraints on the mass profile of the Milky Way galaxy that are independent of kinematic data. The available data are consistent with the profile of an isothermal sphere with circular velocity V c = 220 ± 40 km s −1 in the radial range 35 ≤ R GC ≤ 100 kpc , in good agreement with all recent estimates. The more robust constraint at large distances from the Galactic Centre is provided by NGC 2419, yelding an enclosed mass of 1.3 +2.9 −1.0 × 10 12 M ⊙ at R GC ≃ 90 kpc .