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Blue stragglers in the core of the globular cluster 47 Tucanae

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Abstract

High-resolution observations of the core of the globular cluster 47 Tucanae with the Faint Object Camera on the Hubble Space Telescope reveal a high density of 'blue straggler' stars, occupying the upper end of the main sequence from which all stars in the cluster should have long since evolved. Their presence in the dense core supports the hypothesis that they formed by stellar collision and coalescence, and, as the heaviest objects in the cluster, have drifted to the core

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, Maryland, 21218, USA

    F. Paresce, M. Shara, G. Meylan, D. Baxter, P. Greenfield, R. Jedrzejewski, A. Nota, W. B. Sparks, J. C. Blades & F. Macchetto

  2. Astrophysics Division, Space Science Department of ESA, ESTEC, NL-2200 AG, Noordwijk, The Netherlands

    F. Paresce, G. Meylan, R. Albrecht, P. Jakobsen & F. Macchetto

  3. Space Telescope European Coordinating Facility, Karl Schwarzschild Strasse 2, D–8046, Garching, Germany

    R. Albrecht

  4. Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, Vicolo Osservatorio 5, 1-35122, Padova, Italy

    A. Nota & C. Barbieri

  5. Royal Greenwich Observatory, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 OEZ, UK

    A. Boksenberg

  6. European Southern Observatory, Karl Schwarzschild Strasse 2, D-8046, Garching, Germany

    P. Crane

  7. Laboratoire d'Astronomic Spatiale du CNRS, Traverse du Siphon, Les Trois Lues, F-13012, Marseille, France

    J. M. Deharveng

  8. Department of Physics, University College of Cardiff, PO Box 713, Cardiff, CF1 3TH, UK

    M. J. Disney

  9. Space Research Institute, Sorbonnelaan 2, NL-3584 CA, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    T. M. Kamperman

  10. Astronomy Department, University of California, Berkeley, California, 94720, USA

    I. R. King

  11. Institute of Astronomy, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CBS OHA, UK

    C. D. Mackay

  12. Max-Planck-lnstitut fur Radioastronomie, Auf dem Hugel 69, D-5300, Bonn, 1, Germ

    G. Weigelt

Authors
  1. F. Paresce
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  2. M. Shara
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  3. G. Meylan
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  4. D. Baxter
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  5. P. Greenfield
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  6. R. Jedrzejewski
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  7. A. Nota
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  8. W. B. Sparks
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  9. R. Albrecht
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  10. C. Barbieri
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  11. J. C. Blades
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  12. A. Boksenberg
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  13. P. Crane
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  14. J. M. Deharveng
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  15. M. J. Disney
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  16. P. Jakobsen
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  17. T. M. Kamperman
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  18. I. R. King
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  19. F. Macchetto
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  20. C. D. Mackay
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  21. G. Weigelt
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Paresce, F., Shara, M., Meylan, G. et al. Blue stragglers in the core of the globular cluster 47 Tucanae. Nature 352, 297–301 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1038/352297a0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/352297a0

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