Core formation by a population of massive remnants

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

6-10-2004

Abstract

Core radii of globular clusters in the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds show an increasing trend with age. We propose that this trend is a dynamical effect resulting from the accumulation of massive stars and stellar-mass black holes at the cluster centers. The black holes are remnants of stars with initial masses exceeding ∼20-25 M⊙ as their orbits decay by dynamical friction, they heat the stellar background and create a core. Using analytical estimates and N-body experiments, we show that the sizes of the cores so produced and their growth rates are consistent with what is observed. We propose that this mechanism is responsible for the formation of cores in all globular clusters and possibly in other systems as well.

Identifier

3142741764 (Scopus)

Publication Title

Astrophysical Journal

External Full Text Location

https://doi.org/10.1086/422252

e-ISSN

15384357

ISSN

0004637X

First Page

L25

Last Page

L28

Issue

1 II

Volume

608

Grant

AST 02-0631

Fund Ref

National Science Foundation

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