Extragalactic globular clusters and galaxy formation with Roman
| Program ID | 19111 |
|---|---|
| Science Category | Stellar Populations |
| Program Type | Analysis |
| Category | Medium |
| Principal Investigator | Aaron Romanowsky |
| PI Institution | San José State University |
| Co-Investigators |
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| Abstract | We propose a survey of globular clusters (GCs) beyond the Milky Way with Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope's Wide Field Instrument, leveraging its unparalleled depth, spatial resolution, near-infrared photometry, and wide field of view to map out the fundamental properties of GC systems across the full range of galaxy types and environments for the first time. Targets are selected from early data availability in the High Latitude Wide Area and Time Domain Surveys, including hundreds of giant and dwarf galaxies hosting thousands of GCs. We will prototype the methods needed to select and analyze GCs with Roman, in synergy with complementary data such as the Vera C. Rubin Observatory's Legacy Survey of Space and Time. We will provide both catalogs of GC candidates as well as derived properties for GC systems, including colors, magnitudes, ages, metallicities, luminosity functions, total numbers and masses, and spatial distributions. We will use these properties in conjunction with detailed theoretical models to infer the assembly histories of these galaxies, providing a unique window into their evolution and setting the stage for much larger samples of galaxies. |