TIDAL DENSITIES OF GLOBULAR CLUSTERS AND THE GALACTIC MASS DISTRIBUTION

The tidal radii of globular clusters reflect the tidal field of the Galaxy. The mass distribution of the Galaxy thus may be obtained if the tidal fields of clusters are well known. Although large amounts of uncertainties in the determination of tidal radii have been obstacles in utilizing this method, analysis of tidal density could give independent check for the Galactic mass distribution. Recent theoretical modeling of dynamical evolution including steady Galactic tidal field shows that the observationally determined tidal radii could be systematically larger by about a factor of 1.5 compared to the theoretical values. From the analysis of entire sample of 148 globular clusters and 7 dwarf spheroidal systems compiled by Webbink (1985), we find that such reduction from observed values would make the tidal density (the mean density within the tidal radius) distribution consistent with the flat rotation curve of our Galaxy out to large distances if the velocity distribution of clusters and dwarf spheroidals with respect to the Galactic center is isotropic.