Distortion of globular clusters by galactic bulges

One of the external fields that influences the population of globular clust ers is that resulting from galactic bulges. In extreme situations, at perig alactic distances r(p) less than or equal to 100 pc, globular clusters coul d suffer total disruption in a single passage. A more common scenario is th at for cluster orbits with r(p) greater than or equal to 200 pc. We investi gate the effects of tidal forces from a bulge on the shape of globular clus ters for this type of encounter. We find distortions characterized by 'twis ting isophotes' and: consider the potential for observability of this effec t, in the Milky Way, a typical globular cluster must pass within several hu ndred pc of the centre to experience substantial distortion, and it is poss ible that this has happened recently to one or two present-day clusters, We estimate that this distortion could be observed even for globulars in dens e fields towards the bulge, in more extreme environments such as giant elli pticals or merger products with newly formed globulars, this effect could b e more common, extending out to orbits that pass within 1 kpc of the bulge centre. This would lead to a substantial shift in the eccentricity distribu tion of globulars in those galaxies.