Scaling relations for globular cluster systems in early-type galaxies. III : the inner flattening of the radial distributions

Abstract

The current properties of globular cluster systems (GCSs) in the nearby Universe are a consequence of an evolutionary history ruled by accretion and disruption processes. The analysis of scaling relations for GCSs is crucial for understanding the relevance of different physical processes involved in their origin and subsequent survival. In this work, radial profiles are calculated for a sample of GCSs associated with nearby massive galaxies. This is supplemented with results from our previous papers, achieving a total sample of 53 GCSs with radial profiles homogeneously calculated, and spanning more than two orders of magnitude in stellar mass of the host galaxy. Scaling relations involving different parameters of the GCSs are obtained for the entire sample, and their significance in terms of different scenarios is considered. Finally, the results are analysed in the literature context.