Numerical Simulations of Globular Cluster Formation

Numerical Simulations of Formation of Globular Cluster

Numerical Simulations of Globular Cluster Formation

We examine various physical processes associated with the formation of globular clusters by using the three-dimensional Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) code. Our code includes radiative cooling of gases, star formation, energy feedback from stars including stellar winds and supernovae, and chemical enrichment by stars. We assume that, in the collapsing galaxy, isothermal cold clouds form ...

High-resolution simulations of galaxy mergers: Resolving globular cluster formation

Massive star clusters observed in galaxy mergers are often suggested to be progenitors of globular clusters. To study this hypothesis, we performed the highest resolution simulation of a gas-rich galaxy merger so far. The formation of massive star clusters of 10 to 10 M⊙, triggered by the galaxy interaction, is directly resolved in this model. We show that these clusters are tightly bound struc...

Globular Cluster Formation

The discovery of young globular clusters in merging galaxies and other environments provides an opportunity to study directly the process of globular cluster formation. Empirically it appears that globular cluster formation occurs preferentially in regions in which star formation occurs at a high rate and efficiency. Further, the interstellar medium in such regions is likely to be at a higher p...

Globular Cluster Formation in the Virgo Cluster

Metal-poor globular clusters (MPGCs) are a unique probe of the early universe, in particular the reionization era. A popular hypothesis is that the observed truncation of MPGC formation is due to reionization. Under this hypothesis, constraining the formation epoch of MPGCs provides a complementary constraint on the epoch of reionization. Moreover, as the earliest reionizing sources first forme...