We have obtained Keck spectra for 16 globular clusters ( GCs ) associated with the merger remnant elliptical NGC 1052 , as well as a long-slit spectrum of the galaxy .
We derive ages , metallicities and abundance ratios from simple stellar population models using the methods of Proctor & Sansom ( 2002 ) , applied to extragalactic GCs for the first time .
A number of GCs indicate the presence of strong blue horizontal branches which are not fully accounted for in the current stellar population models .
We find all of the GCs to be \sim 13 Gyr old according to simple stellar populations , with a large range of metallicities .
From the galaxy spectrum we find NGC 1052 to have a luminosity-weighted central age of \sim 2 Gyr and metallicity of [ Fe/H ] \sim + 0.6 .
No strong gradients in either age or metallicity were found to the maximum radius measured ( 0.3 r _ { e } \simeq 1 kpc ) .
However , we do find a strong radial gradient in \alpha –element abundance , which reaches a very high central value .
The young central starburst age is consistent with the age inferred from the HI tidal tails and infalling gas of \sim 1 Gyr .
Thus , although NGC 1052 shows substantial evidence for a recent merger and an associated starburst , it appears that the merger did not induce the formation of new GCs , perhaps suggesting that little recent star formation occurred .
This interpretation is consistent with “ frosting ” models for early-type galaxy formation .