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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Globular Cluster Evolution In M87 And Fundamental Plane Ellipticals, C Murali, Md Weinberg
Globular Cluster Evolution In M87 And Fundamental Plane Ellipticals, C Murali, Md Weinberg
Astronomy Department Faculty Publication Series
The globular cluster population in M87 has decreased measurably through dynamical evolution caused by relaxation, binary heating and time-dependent tidal perturbation. For fundamental plane ellipticals in general, cluster populations evolve more rapidly in smaller galaxies because of the higher mass density. A simple evolutionary model reproduces the observed trend in specific frequency with luminosity for an initially constant relationship. Fits of theoretically evolved populations to M87 cluster data from McLaughlin et al. (1994) show the following: 1) dynamical effects drive evolution in the initial mass and space distributions and can account for the large core in the spatial profile as …
Evolution Of The Galactic Globular Cluster System, C Murali, Md Weinberg
Evolution Of The Galactic Globular Cluster System, C Murali, Md Weinberg
Astronomy Department Faculty Publication Series
We study the dynamical evolution of disk and halo globular clusters in the Milky Way using a series of Fokker-Planck calculations combined with parametric statistical models. Our sample of 113 clusters with velocity data is predicted to descend from an initial population of 250 clusters, implying more than a factor of two decrease in population size due to evolution. Approximately 200 of these clusters are in a halo component and 50 in a disk component. The estimated initial halo population follows a coreless R−3.38 density profile in good agreement with current estimates for the distribution of halo field stars. The …