1999A&A...345..109V

We have analyzed the far UV-spectrum of the globular cluster M 79. We show that the nearly Gaussian mass distribution of zero-age horizontal-branch stars, as derived by Dixon et al. (1996AJ....111.1936D), is able to reproduce the far-UV Hopkins Utraviolet Telescope (HUT) spectrum, if there is a luminous UV-bright star of about T_eff=9,500K within the HUT entrance slit, or, more likely, if the horizontal branch morphology becomes considerably redder in the core of M 79, as observed in some other centrally condensed globular clusters. Agreement between the synthetic and observed far-UV spectra for M 79 would also be improved if the surface abundances of the heavy elements in the hot horizontal-branch stars were enhanced by radiative diffusion. Contrary to Dixon et al. (1996AJ....111.1936D) we do not need extremely low gravities to reproduce the width of Ly α.