Hostname: page-component-77c89778f8-vpsfw Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-23T07:36:23.610Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Rapid Mass Segregation in Massive Star Clusters

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 March 2015

Stephen McMillan
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA Contact email: steve@physics.drexel.edu
Enrico Vesperini
Affiliation:
Department of Astronomy, Indiana University, Swain Hall West, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
Nicholas Kruczek
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA Contact email: steve@physics.drexel.edu
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Several dynamical scenarios have been proposed that can lead to prompt mass segregation on the crossing time scale of a young cluster. They generally rely on cool and/or clumpy initial conditions, and are most relevant to small systems. As a counterpoint, we present a novel dynamical mechanism that can operate in relatively large, homogeneous, cool or cold systems. This mechanism may be important in understanding the assembly of large mass-segregated clusters from smaller clumps.

Type
Contributed Papers
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2015 

References

Aarseth, S. J., Lin, D. N. C., & Papaloizou, J. C. B. 1988, ApJ, 324, 288CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Allison, R. J., Goodwin, S. P., Parker, R. J., de Grijs, R., Portegies Zwart, S. F., & Kouwenhoven, M. B. N. 2009, ApJL, 700, L99CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kroupa, P. 2002, Science, 295, 82Google Scholar
McMillan, S. L. W., Vesperini, E., & Portegies Zwart, S. F. 2007, ApJL, 655, L45CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vesperini, E., McMillan, S. L. W., & Portegies Zwart, S. F. 2006, Joint Discussion 14, 26th General Assembly of the IAUGoogle Scholar
Vesperini, E., McMillan, S. L. W., & Portegies Zwart, S. F. 2009a, ApJ, 698, 615Google Scholar
Vesperini, E., McMillan, S. L. W., & Portegies Zwart, S. F. 2009b, in Globular Clusters – Guides to Galaxies, ESO Astrophysics Symposia, Richtler, T. and Larsen, S. eds. (Springer: Berlin), p. 429CrossRefGoogle Scholar