Optical-near-IR analysis of globular clusters in the IKN dwarf spheroidal : a complex star formation history

Abstract

Context. Age, metallicity, and spatial distribution of globular clusters (GCs) provide a powerful tool for reconstructing major starformation episodes in galaxies. IKN is a faint dwarf spheroidal (dSph) in the M 81 group of galaxies. It contains five old GCs, which makes it the galaxy with the highest known specific frequency (S N = 126). Aims. We estimate the photometric age, metallicity, and spatial distribution of the poorly studied IKN GCs. We search SDSS for GC candidates beyond the HST/ACS field of view, which covers half of IKN. Methods. To break the age-metallicity degeneracy in the Vð€€€I colour, we used WHT/LIRIS KS-band photometry and derived photometric ages and metallicities by comparison with SSP models in the V; I; Ks colour space. Results. IKN GCs’ VIKs colours are consistent with old ages ( 8 Gyr) and a metallicity distribution with a higher mean than is typical for such a dSph ([Fe/H] ' ð€€€1:4+0:6 ð€€€0:2 dex). Their photometric mass range (0:5 < MGC < 4 105 M ) implies an unusually high mass ratio between GCs and field stars, of 10:6%. Mixture model analysis of the RGB field stars’ metallicity suggests that 72% of the stars may have formed together with the GCs. Using the most massive GCð€€€SFR relation, we calculated a star formation rate (SFR) of 10 M =yr during its formation epoch. We note that the more massive GCs are closer to the galaxy photometric centre. IKN GCs also appear spatially aligned along a line close to the major axis of the IKN and nearly orthogonal to the plane of spatial distribution of galaxies in the M 81 group. We identify one new IKN GC candidate based on colour and the PSF analysis of the SDSS data Conclusions. The evidence of i) broad and high metallicity distribution of the field IKN RGB stars and its GCs, ii) high fraction, and iii) spatial alignment of IKN GCs supports a scenario for tidally triggered, complex IKN’s star formation history in the context of interactions with galaxies in the M 81 group.