Program: GN-2014B-DD-2

We propose to observe the most massive globular clusters in M31 with Gemini/NIFS to test whether or not these objects are stripped galaxy nuclei. We recently used NIFS to detect the first supermassive black hole in a massive stripped nucleus in the Virgo Cluster (to be published in Nature, Sept. 18th). Our proposed study will dynamically test for massive black holes in similar, lower mass objects. If black holes are present, these objects would dominate the local number density of massive black holes and provide important constraints on the occupation fraction of central black holes in low mass galaxies. In addition to testing for black holes, our observations will simultaneously determine if these objects have iron abundance gradients as are seen in stripped nucleus OmegaCen, detection of abundance gradients would provide strong evidence for a nuclear origin.