| Abstract | The Hubble Space Telescope's Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) has several advantages over ground-based observations for the study of globular cluster luminosity functions (GCLFs) and distance determination. Here we present WFPC2 data on the globular clusters associated with NGC 5846. This giant elliptical is the dominant galaxy in a small, compact group located ~13 Mpc beyond the Virgo cluster. We have detected over 1200 globular clusters in three (central, north, and south) separate pointings. The luminosity functions in each of these pointings are statistically the same, indicating that the mean luminosity (mass) does not vary between ~3 and 30 kpc from the galaxy center. This suggests that dynamical friction and bulge shocking destruction processes are insignificant. We have fit a Gaussian and t_5_ profile to the GCLF (of the combined pointings) and find that it is well represented by a turnover magnitude of m_V_^0^ = 25.05 +/- 0.10 and a dispersion of σ = 1.34+/-0.06. Our 50% incompleteness level is ~1 mag fainter than the turnover. After applying a metallicity correction to the "universal" GCLF turnover magnitude, we derive a distance modulus of (m-M)=32.32+/-0.23. For a group velocity V_CMB_ = 1883+/-28 km s^-1^, the Hubble constant is H_0_ = 65 +/- 8 km s^-1^ Mpc^-1^. |
