On the effects of dynamical evolution on the initial mass function of globular clusters

Vesperini, Enrico; Heggie, Douglas C.

doi:10.1093/mnras/289.4.898

Cited by 263 publications

(418 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…If the energy injected by the FG stellar winds and SNe is sufficient to expel the SN ejecta and the residual gas (Calura et al 2015), the stellar FG can expand beyond its tidal limit in response to this substantial gas loss and be prone to efficient stellar mass loss due to the external field (D'Ercole et al 2008). Clearly, the efficiency of this mechanism is sensitive to the parameters regulating the initial FG distribution, as more concentrated stellar distributions will give place to smaller amounts of mass lost via tidal stripping (e.g., Vesperini & Heggie 1997).…”

Section: Proto-globular Clustersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Paving the way for the JWST: witnessing globular cluster formation at z > 3

Vanzella¹,

Calura²,

Meneghetti³

et al. 2017

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

175

215

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We report on five compact, extremely young (< 10 Myr) and blue (β U V < −2.5, F λ = λ β ) objects observed with VLT/MUSE at redshift 3.1169, 3.235, in addition to three objects at z = 6.145. These sources are magnified by the Hubble Frontier Field galaxy clusters MACS J0416 and AS1063. Their de-lensed half light radii (R e ) are between 16 to 140 pc, the stellar masses are 1 − 20 × 10 6 M , the magnitudes are m U V = 28.8 − 31.4 (−17 < M U V < −15) and specific star formation rates can be as large as ∼ 800 Gyr −1 . Multiple images of these systems are widely separated in the sky (up to 50 ) and individually magnified by factors 3-40. Remarkably, the inferred physical properties of two objects are similar to those expected in some globular cluster formation scenarios, representing the best candidate proto-globular clusters (proto-GC) discovered so far. Rest-frame optical high dispersion spectroscopy of one of them at z = 3.1169 yields a velocity dispersion σ v 20 km s −1 , implying a dynamical mass dominated by the stellar mass. Another object at z = 6.145, with de-lensed31.4), shows a stellar mass and a star-formation rate surface density consistent with the values expected from popular GC formation scenarios. An additional star-forming region at z = 6.145, with de-lensed m U V 32, a stellar mass of 0.5 ×10 6 M and a star formation rate of 0.06 M yr −1 is also identified. These objects currently represent the faintest spectroscopically confirmed star-forming systems at z > 3, elusive even in the deepest blank fields. We discuss how proto-GCs might contribute to the ionization budget of the universe and augment Lyα visibility during reionization. This work underlines the crucial role of JWST in characterizing the restframe optical and near-infrared properties of such low-luminosity high−z objects.

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Section: Proto-globular Clustersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Paving the way for the JWST: witnessing globular cluster formation at z > 3

Vanzella¹,

Calura²,

Meneghetti³

et al. 2017

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

175

215

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In the presence of a ⋆ E-mail: jerjwebb@iu.edu (JW), evesperi@indiana.edu (EV) non-static external tidal field, tidal heating and shocks serve to inject energy and further accelerate the dissolution process (e.g. Weinberg 1994;Vesperini & Heggie 1997;Gnedin et al 1999;Baumgardt & Makino 2003;Webb et al 2013Webb et al , 2014aBrockamp et al 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Radial variation in the stellar mass functions of star clusters

Webb¹,

Vesperini²

2016

Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc.

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A number of recent observational studies of Galactic globular clusters have measured the variation in the slope of a cluster's stellar mass function α with clustercentric distance r. In order to gather a deeper understanding of the information contained in such observations, we have explored the evolution of α(r) for star clusters with a variety of initial conditions using a large suite of N -body simulations. We have specifically studied how the time evolution of α(r) is affected by initial size, mass, binary fraction, primordial mass segregation, black hole retention, an external tidal field, and the initial mass function itself. Previous studies have shown that the evolution of α G is closely related to the amount of mass loss suffered by a cluster. Hence for each simulation we have also followed the evolution of the slope of the cluster's global stellar mass function, α G , and have shown that clusters follow a well-defined track in the α G -dα(r)/d(ln(r/r m )) plane. The location of a cluster on the α G − dα(r)/d(ln(r/r m )) plane can therefore constrain its dynamical history and, in particular, constrain possible variations in the stellar initial mass function. The α G -dα(r)/d(ln(r/r m )) plane thus serves as a key tool for fully exploiting the information contained in wide field studies of cluster stellar mass functions.

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“…Such an early episode of mass loss would therefore leave no fingerprint on the stellar mass function and the mass lost by a cluster that can be inferred from its present-day mass function would represent a lower limit (see e.g. Vesperini & Heggie 1997;Webb & Leigh 2015). In the context of the study of multiple-population clusters, chemically enriched stars are predicted to form in the cluster inner regions (see e.g.…”

Section: Discussion and Summarymentioning

confidence: 99%

The early evolution of star clusters in compressive and extensive tidal fields

Webb¹,

Patel²,

Vesperini³

2017

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters

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We present N -body simulations of star clusters that initially evolve within a strong compressive tidal field and then transition into extensive tidal fields of varying strengths. While subject to compressive tides, clusters can undergo significant heating due to two-body interactions and mass loss due to stellar evolution. When the cluster transitions into an extensive tidal field it is super-virialized, which leads to a rapid expansion and significant mass loss before the cluster reaches virial equilibrium. After the transition, clusters are significantly less massive, more extended and therefore more tidally filling than clusters which have spent their entire lifetime in a similar extensive tidal field.

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On the effects of dynamical evolution on the initial mass function of globular clusters

Cited by 263 publications

References 28 publications

Paving the way for the JWST: witnessing globular cluster formation at z > 3

Paving the way for the JWST: witnessing globular cluster formation at z > 3

Radial variation in the stellar mass functions of star clusters

The early evolution of star clusters in compressive and extensive tidal fields

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