Metallicities for globular clusters in the fornax, sagittarius, and canis major dwarf spheroidal galaxies and their total luminosities

Abstract

ABSTRACT We present [Fe/H] values for globular clusters associated with the Fornax, Sagittarius, and Canis Major dwarf spheroidal galaxies based on the light curve properties of their ab-type RR Lyrae variables. Fornax is a classical dwarf spheroidal containing five globular clusters and exhibiting a spheroidal shape in the sky. Sagittarius and Canis Major, possess six and four globular clusters, respectively, and have both been tidally disrupted to a significant degree by the gravitational field of the Milky Way galaxy. Based on an analysis of the periods and light curve amplitudes of 76 globular cluster ab-type RR Lyraes in Fornax, 103 in Sagittarius, and 29 in Canis Major, we find mean metallicities of $\langle$[Fe/H]$\rangle$ = –1.67 ± 0.05, –1.76 ± 0.12, and –1.69 ± 0.25 for the globular clusters in Fornax, Sagittarius, and Canis Major, respectively. Given the similarity of these three values, and coupled with the well-established correlation between the mean metal abundance and total luminosity for dwarf spheroidal galaxies, we conclude that the absolute V-band magnitudes of these three galaxies are indistinguishable to within ∼0.8 mag.