Wide-Field Near-IR Photometric Study for Spatial Distribution of Stars around Globular Clusters in the Galactic Bulge

Extra-tidal feature of the globular clusters such as tidal tails and halos can be a crucial evidence of the merging scenario of the Galaxy formation in the dynamical point of view. To search for such an extra-tidal feature of globular clusters located in the Galactic bulge(RGC<3kpc), we obtained wide-field near-infrared JHKs images of 6 metal-poor ([Fe/H]<-1.0) clusters and 3 metal-rich ([Fe/H]>-1.0) clusters. Observations were carried out using IRSF 1.4m telescope and SIRIUS near-infrared camera, during 2006~2007. The obtained images have a total maximum field-of-view of ~ $21'\times 21'$. To select clusters' member stars and minimize the field star contaminations, we applied CMD masking algorithm. Smoothed surface density contour maps with selected stars for each cluster show overdensity features around the tidal radius and beyond. Also, radial surface density profiles within the tidal radius of the clusters show an overdensity feature as a change of slope of the radial profile. The results add further observational constraints of the formation of the Galactic bulge.