GLOBULAR-CLUSTER SYSTEMS OF EARLY-TYPE GALAXIES IN FORNAX

We studied through V and I photometry the properties of the globular c luster systems of five early-type galaxies in the Fornax galaxy cluste r: NGC 1374, NGC 1379, NGC 1387, NGC 1427, and the central giant ellip tical NGC 1399. While the four normal galaxies have between 300 and 50 0 globular clusters, leading to specific frequencies of 4 +/- 1 for al l of them, NGC 1399 has around 6000 +/- 600 globular clusters and a sp ecific frequency of 12 +/- 3. The globular cluster colors are somewhat redder than those of the Milky Way globular clusters, however with a similar dispersion. This indicates a wide range of metallicities in al l our galaxies with a mean metallicity somewhat higher than in the gal actic halo, comparable to the galactic bulge. In NGC 1399 the dispersi on is about twice as high, and the color distribution could be multi-m odal. No color gradient could be detected within the sensitivity of ou r photometry. The density profiles of the globular cluster systems fol low the galaxy light in all the galaxies. In NGC 1399 the globular clu ster system is much flatter than in the other galaxies, but coincides with the large cD envelope of the galaxy. None of the globular cluster systems is clearly elongated, even the ones in NGC 1374 and NGC 1427 (E1 and E3 respectively) appear rather spherical. From a comparison wi th studied globular cluster systems in spiral galaxies, we conclude th at our faint ellipticals have no more globular clusters than spirals o f the same mass, and neither differ in their other properties, such as globular cluster colors and morphological properties of the system. F or these galaxies there is no need to imply a different formation scen ario of the globular cluster system. The central giant elliptical has far more globular clusters and shows signatures of a different history in the building up of its globular cluster system.