The Globular Cluster Luminosity Function: New Progress in Understanding an Old Distance Indicator

Abstract

I review the Globular Cluster Luminosity Function (GCLF) with emphasis on recent observational data and theoretical progress. As is well known, the turn-over magnitude (TOM) is a good distance indicator for early-type galaxies within the limits set by data quality and sufficient number of objects. A comparison with distances derived from surface brightness fluctuations with the available TOMs in the V-band reveals, however, many discrepant cases. These cases often violate the condition that the TOM should only be used as a distance indicator in old globular cluster systems. The existence of intermediate age-populations in early-type galaxies likely is the cause of many of these discrepancies. The connection between the luminosity functions of young and old cluster systems is discussed on the basis of modelling the dynamical evolution of cluster systems. Finally, I briefly present the current ideas of why such a universal structure as the GCLF exists.