Related papers: Inverting the dynamical evolution of globular clus…
Two unresolved questions at galaxy centers, namely the formation of the nuclear star cluster (NSC) and the origin of the gamma-ray excess in the Milky Way (MW) and Andromeda (M31), are both related to the formation and evolution of globular…
The fraction of stellar mass contained in globular clusters (GCs), also measured by number as the specific frequency, is a fundamental quantity that reflects both a galaxy's early star formation and its entire merging history. We present…
We present a study of globular clusters (GCs) in 17 relatively nearby early-type galaxies, based on deep HST/WFPC2 F555W and F814W images. We compare color distributions, cluster sizes and luminosity functions with those of GCs in the Milky…
The motion of the baryonic components of the Milky Way is governed by both luminous and dark matter content of the Galaxy. Thus, the dynamics of the Milky Way globular clusters can be used as tracers to infer the mass model of the Galaxy up…
Two-body interactions play a major role in shaping the structural and dynamical properties of globular clusters (GCs) over their long-term evolution. In particular, GCs evolve toward a state of partial energy equipartition that induces a…
We study how structural properties of globular clusters and dwarf galaxies are linked to their orbits in the Milky Way halo. From the inner to the outer halo, orbital energy increases and stellar-systems gradually move out of internal…
The mass function of globular cluster (GC) populations is a fundamental observable that encodes the physical conditions under which these massive stellar clusters formed and evolved. The high-mass end of star cluster mass functions are…
The total mass M_GCS in the globular cluster (GC) system of a galaxy is empirically a near-constant fraction of the total mass M_h = M_bary + M_dark of the galaxy, across a range of 10^5 in galaxy mass. This trend is radically unlike the…
Linking globular clusters (GCs) to the assembly of their host galaxies is an overarching goal in GC studies. The inference of tight scaling relations between GC system properties and the mass of both the stellar and dark halo components of…
We report on the discovery of a surprising observed correlation between the slope of the low-mass stellar global mass function (GMF) of globular clusters (GCs) and their central concentration parameter c=log(r_t/r_c), i.e. the logarithmic…
We present an end-to-end, two-phase model for the origin of globular clusters (GCs). In the model, populations of stellar clusters form in the high-pressure discs of high-redshift ($z>2$) galaxies (a rapid-disruption phase due to tidal…
Their ubiquity and extreme densities make star clusters probes of prime importance of galaxy evolution. Old globular clusters keep imprints of the physical conditions of their assembly in the early Universe, and younger stellar objects,…
We study the combined effects of relaxation, tidal heating and binary heating on globular cluster evolution, exploring the physical consequences of external effects and examining evolutionary trends in the Milky Way population. Our analysis…
Observations of galaxy clusters (GC's) are a powerful tool to probe the evolution of the Universe at $z<2$. However, the determination of their real shape and structure is not completely understood and the assumption of asphericity is often…
The infall and merger scenario of massive clusters in the Milky Way's potential well, as one of the Milky Way formation mechanisms, is reexamined to understand how the stars of the merging clusters are redistributed during and after the…
In this paper we show the results of a large set of N-body simulations modelling the evolution of globular clusters driven by relaxation,stellar evolution,disk shocking and including the effects of the tidal field of the Galaxy. We…
In the last decade, a new kind of stellar systems has been established that shows properties in between those of globular clusters (GCs) and early-type dwarf galaxies. These so-called ultra-compact dwarf galaxies (UCDs) have masses in the…
Globular clusters (GCs) are found in all types of galaxies and harbor some of the most extreme stellar systems, including black holes that may dynamically assemble into merging binaries (BBHs). Uncertain GC properties, including when they…
The theory of stellar escape from globular clusters (GCs) dates back nearly a century, especially the gradual evaporation of GCs via two-body relaxation coupled with external tides. More violent ejection can also occur via strong…
The dynamics of globular cluster systems (GCSs) around galaxies are often used to assess the total enclosed mass, and even to constrain the dark matter distribution. The globular cluster system of a galaxy is typically assumed to be in…