Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Detection Of A Distinct Metal-Poor Stellar Halo In The Early-Type Galaxy Ngc 3115*, Mark Peacock, Jay Strader, Aaron Romanowsky, Jean Brodie

Faculty Publications

We present the resolved stellar populations in the inner and outer halo of the nearby lenticular galaxy NGC 3115. Using deep Hubble Space Telescope observations, we analyze stars 2 mag fainter than the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB). We study three fields along the minor axis of this galaxy, 19, 37, and 54 kpc from its center—corresponding to 7, 14, and 21 effective radii (re ). Even at these large galactocentric distances, all of the fields are dominated by a relatively enriched population, with the main peak in the metallicity distribution decreasing with radius from [Z/H] ~ –0.5 …