IC 4051 is a giant E galaxy on the outskirts of the Coma cluster core .
Using archival HST WFPC2 data , we derive the metallicity distribution , luminosity function , and spatial structure of its globular cluster system ( GCS ) .
The metallicity distribution derived from the ( V - I ) colors has a mean \langle Fe/H \rangle \simeq - 0.3 , a near-complete lack of metal-poor clusters , and only a small metallicity gradient with radius .
We tentatively suggest that the GCS has two roughly equal metallicity subcomponents , one centered at [ Fe/H ] \sim 0.0 and the second at [ Fe/H ] \sim - 1.0 , although their identification is blurred by the photometric uncertainties .
The luminosity distribution ( GCLF ) has the standard Gaussian-like form observed in all other giant E galaxies , with a peak ( turnover ) at V ^ { 0 } = 27.8 , consistent with a Coma distance of 100 Mpc .
The radial profiles of both the GCS and the halo light show an unusually steep falloff which may indicate that the halo of this galaxy has been tidally truncated .
Lastly , the specific frequency of the GCS is remarkably large : we find S _ { N } = 11 \pm 2 , at a level which rivals M87 and most others in the central cD-type category , even though IC 4051 is not a cD or brightest cluster elliptical .
This galaxy exhibits a combination of GCS characteristics found nowhere else .
A formation model consistent with most of the observations would be that this galaxy was subjected to removal of a large fraction of its protogalactic gas shortly after its main phase of globular cluster formation , probably by its first passage through the Coma core .
Since then , no significant additions due to accretions or mergers have taken place , in strong contrast to the central Coma galaxy NGC 4874 .