Photometry of stars within 3.2' from BH 261

In this way, an indication of the fraction of metal-poor bulge stars that originated from globular clusters can be determined. We observed and analyzed stars in and around BH261, an understudied globular cluster in the bulge.

From seven giants within the tidal radius of the cluster, we measured an average heliocentric radial velocity of RV=-61{+/-}2.6km/s with a radial velocity dispersion of {sigma}=6.1{+/-}1.9km/s. The large velocity dispersion may have arisen from tidal heating in the cluster's orbit about the Galactic center, or because BH261 has a high dynamical mass as well as a high mass-to-light ratio. From spectra of five giants, we measure an average metallicity of [Fe/H]=-1.1{+/-}0.2dex.