The present-day globular cluster (GC) populations of dwarf galaxies carry information about the formation and evolution of these low-mass galaxies as the building blocks of the Universe. GCs of dwarf galaxies are mostly formed in-situ, and then evolved together with their host dwarf galaxies under the influence of similar internal and external astrophysical processes (e.g., stellar/supernova feedback, and environmental effects). Given the different mass and spatial distribution of GCs compared to stars and gas within galaxies (main observables of galaxies), GCs respond differently to various baryonic processes acting on their host galaxies. Therefore, GC observables of dwarf galaxies would lead us to identify baryonic processes that different populations of dwarf galaxies experience throughout their lifetime, through their evolution. However, because dwarf galaxies typically host only a few GCs, studying their GC properties requires large samples of dwarf galaxies. Having such a sample requires observing the extragalactic universe beyond the Local Volume and within the Local Universe, at distances between 10-100 Mpc.
In this Seminar, I will review the results of past and recent extragalactic surveys for studying GCs associated with dwarf galaxies in the Local Universe, and discuss ongoing debates and open questions. Then, I will focus on Euclid and its capabilities for identifying GCs around nearby galaxies within the Local Universe. The deep and high-resolution images from Euclid, in both optical and near-infrared, allow us to identify and investigate GCs around a large sample of dwarf galaxies in the Local Universe. With such observations, we can search for patterns and trends between dwarf galaxies and their GCs that have remained undetected in previous studies, providing valuable insights into the properties of GCs in relation to their host dwarf galaxies. During my talk, I will also present highlights of the Euclid Early Release Observations (ERO) program regarding dwarf galaxies and their GCs, emphasizing both the scientific significance of these observations and the exciting new questions they generate. By advancing our understanding of the interplay between dwarf galaxies and their GCs, this line of research could reshape our perspectives on star and galaxy formation and evolution.
