Program: GN-2007A-Q-7

The evolution of galaxies leads reliably to the formation of either a nuclear supermassive black hole (SBH) or/and a compact nuclear star clusters (NSCs). While the characterization of scaling relations for SBHs is well understood, and indeed SBH formation and feedback is routinely incorporated in galaxy evolutionary models, we are only beginning to understand the role of NSCs. We ask for 32.56 hours with GMOS-N/IFU to target a representative sample of three regular and six dwarf early-type galaxies in the Virgo cluster, each hosting a NSC. Magnitudes, colors and structural parameters for both NSCs and host galaxies are known from high resolution (7pc FWHM) HST/ACS images. We will: 1) measure and correlate the masses, ages, metallicities and star formation histories of the NSCs and host galaxies, 2) relate NSC properties to the 2-d dynamical structure of the host galaxy, 3) investigate the NSCs fundamental plane. At the distance of Virgo, GMOS/IFU will cover the central 400X280pc of each target with a spatial sampling of 24pc.