Globular Cluster Systems of Relic Galaxies
  We analyse the globular cluster (GC) systems of a sample of 15 massive,
compact early-type galaxies (ETGs), 13 of which have already been identified as
good relic galaxy candidates on the basis of their compact morphologies, old
stellar populations and stellar kinematics. These relic galaxy candidates are
likely the nearby counterparts of high redshift red nugget galaxies. Using
F814W (~I) and F160W (~H) data from the WFC3 camara onboard the Hubble Space
Telescope we determine the total number, luminosity function, specific
frequency, colour and spatial distribution of the GC systems. We find lower
specific frequencies (SN<2.5 with a median of SN=1) than ETGs of comparable
mass. This is consistent with a scenario of rapid, early dissipative formation,
with relatively low levels of accretion of low-mass, high-SN satellites. The GC
half-number radii are compact, but follow the relations found in normal ETGs.
We identify an anticorrelation between the specific angular momentum (lambda_R)
of the host galaxy and the (I-H) colour distribution width of their GC systems.
Assuming that lambda_R provides a measure of the degree of dissipation in
massive ETGs, we suggest that the (I-H) colour distribution width can be used
as a proxy for the degree of complexity of the accretion histories in these
systems.
