We have obtained Keck LRIS imaging and spectra for 29 globular clusters associated with the lenticular galaxy NGC 524 .
Using the empirical calibration of Brodie & Huchra we find that our spectroscopic sample spans a metallicity range of –2.0 \leq [ Fe/H ] \leq 0 .
We have compared the composite spectrum of the metal-poor ( [ Fe/H ] < –1 ) and metal-rich clusters with stellar population models in order to estimate the ages of the NGC 524 globular clusters .
We conclude that the clusters are generally old , and are coeval at the 2 \sigma confidence level .
To determine the mean [ \alpha /Fe ] ratios of the globular clusters , we have employed the Milone et al . \alpha -enhanced stellar population models .
We verified the reliability of these models by comparing them with high S/N Galactic globular cluster spectra .
We observe a weak trend of decreasing [ \alpha /Fe ] ratios with increasing metallicity in the NGC 524 clusters , the metal-poor cluster possess [ \alpha /Fe ] \sim 0.3 , whilst the metal-rich clusters exhibit [ \alpha /Fe ] ratios closer to solar-scaled values .
Analysis of the cluster system kinematics reveals that the full sample ( excluding an outlying cluster ) exhibits a rotation of 114 \pm 60 \hbox { km } \hbox { s } ^ { -1 } around a position angle of 22 \pm 27 \deg , and a velocity dispersion of 186 \pm 29 \hbox { km } \hbox { s } ^ { -1 } at a mean radius of 89 ^ { \prime \prime } 
from the galaxy centre .
Subdividing the clusters into metal-poor and metal-rich subcomponents ( at [ Fe/H ] = –1.0 ) , we find that the metal-poor ( 17 ) clusters and metal-rich ( 11 ) clusters have similar velocity dispersions ( 197 \pm 40 \hbox { km } \hbox { s } ^ { -1 } 
and 169 \pm 47 \hbox { km } \hbox { s } ^ { -1 } respectively ) .
However , the metal-poor clusters dominate the rotation in our sample with 147 \pm 75 \hbox { km } \hbox { s } ^ { -1 } , whilst the metal-rich clusters show no significant rotation ( 68 \pm 84 \hbox { km } \hbox { s } ^ { -1 } ) .
We derive a virial and projected mass estimation for NGC 524 of between 4 and 13 \times 10 ^ { 11 } \hbox { M } _ { \odot } ( depending on the assumed orbital distribution ) interior to \sim 2 effective radii of this galaxy .