A fossil bulge globular cluster revealed by very large telescope multi-conjugate adaptive optics

Abstract

The globular cluster HP 1 is projected on the bulge, very close to the Galactic center. The Multi-Conjugate Adaptive Optics Demonstrator on the Very Large Telescope allowed us to acquire high-resolution deep images that, combined with first epoch New Technology Telescope data, enabled us to derive accurate proper motions. The cluster and bulge fields’ stellar contents were disentangled through this process and produced an unprecedented definition in color–magnitude diagrams of this cluster. The metallicity of [Fe/H] ≈ −1.0 from previous spectroscopic analysis is confirmed, which together with an extended blue horizontal branch imply an age older than the halo average. Orbit reconstruction results suggest that HP 1 is spatially confined within the bulge.