The Evolution of Primordial Binary Open Star Clusters: Mergers, Shredded Secondaries, and Separated Twins

Marcos, R. de la Fuente; Marcos, C. de la Fuente

doi:10.1088/0004-637x/719/1/104

Cited by 28 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…No dynamical simulations that include such a large number of particles as Wd 1 members have been performed so far. Nevertheless, recent studies suggest that merging is indeed possible over a wide range of initial conditions (see Portegies Zwart & Rusli 2007; de la Fuente Marcos & de la Fuente Marcos 2010, and references therein).…”

Section: Morphology Of Wdmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mass segregation and elongation of the starburst cluster Westerlund 1★

Gennaro

Brandner

Stolte³

et al. 2011

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

147

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Massive stellar clusters are the best available laboratories to study the mass function of stars. Based on NTT/SofI near-infrared photometry, we have investigated the properties of the massive young cluster Westerlund 1. From comparison with stellar models, we derived an extinction A K S = 0.91 ± 0.05 mag, an age τ = 4 ± 0.5 Myr and a distance d = 4.0 ± 0.2 kpc for Westerlund 1, as well as a total mass of M Wd 1 = 4.91 +1.79 −0.49 × 10 4 M . Using spatiallydependent completeness corrections, we performed a two-dimensional study of the cluster's initial mass function (IMF) and, in addition, of the stellar density profiles of the cluster as a function of mass. From both IMF slope variations and stellar density, we find strong evidence of mass segregation. For a cluster with some 10 5 stars, this is not expected at such a young age as the result of two-body relaxation alone. We also confirm previous findings on the elongation of Westerlund 1; assuming an elliptical density profile, we found an axial ratio of a:b = 3:2. Rapid mass segregation and elongation could be well explained as the results of subclusters merging during the formation of Westerlund 1.

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Section: Morphology Of Wdmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mass segregation and elongation of the starburst cluster Westerlund 1★

Gennaro

Brandner

Stolte³

et al. 2011

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

147

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“…The effect of the Galactic tidal field on the orbital evolution of binary star clusters has been studied by de la Fuente Marcos & de la Fuente Marcos (2010). These authors mention three possible fates of binary clusters: mergers, separations, and disruptions (shredded secondaries).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The dynamical fate of binary star clusters in the Galactic tidal field

Priyatikanto

Kouwenhoven

Arifyanto

et al. 2016

Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc.

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Fragmentation and fission of giant molecular clouds occasionally results in a pair of gravitationally bound star clusters that orbit their mutual centre of mass for some time, under the influence of internal and external perturbations. We investigate the evolution of binary star clusters with different orbital configurations, with a particular focus on the Galactic tidal field. We carry out N -body simulations of evolving binary star clusters and compare our results with estimates from our semi-analytic model. The latter accounts for mass loss due to stellar evolution and two-body relaxation, and for evolution due to external tides. Using the semi-analytic model we predict the longterm evolution for a wide range of initial conditions. It accurately describes the global evolution of such systems, until the moment when a cluster merger is imminent. Nbody simulations are used to test our semi-analytic model and also to study additional features of evolving binary clusters, such as the kinematics of stars, global cluster rotation, evaporation rates, and the cluster merger process. We find that the initial orientation of a binary star cluster with respect to the Galactic field, and also the initial orbital phase, are crucial for its fate. Depending on these properties, the binaries may experience orbital reversal, spiral-in, or vertical oscillation about the Galactic plane before they actually merge at t ≈ 100 Myr, and produce rotating star clusters with slightly higher evaporation rates. The merger process of a binary cluster induces an outburst that ejects ∼ 10% of the stellar members into the Galactic field.

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“…Thus, binary star clusters are believed to be short-lived, with lifetimes of 10-100 Myr (Bhatia 1990;de la Fuente Marcos & de la Fuente Marcos 2010;Priyatikanto et al 2016). Within the Magellanic Clouds, between ∼10%-20% of clusters are potentially part of a binary/multiple system (see Dieball et al 2002and references therein).…”

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confidence: 99%

The Hierarchical Distribution of the Young Stellar Clusters in Six Local Star-forming Galaxies

Grasha

Calzetti

Adamo

et al. 2017

ApJ

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We present a study of the hierarchical clustering of the young stellar clusters in six local (3-15 Mpc) star-forming galaxies using Hubble Space Telescope broad band WFC3/UVIS UV and optical images from the Treasury Program LEGUS (Legacy ExtraGalactic UV Survey). We have identified 3685 likely clusters and associations, each visually classified by their morphology, and we use the angular two-point correlation function to study the clustering of these stellar systems. We find that the spatial distribution of the young clusters and associations are clustered with respect to each other, forming large, unbound hierarchical star-forming complexes that are in general very young. The strength of the clustering decreases with increasing age of the star clusters and stellar associations, becoming more homogeneously distributed after ∼40-60 Myr and on scales larger than a few hundred parsecs. In all galaxies, the associations exhibit a global behavior that is distinct and more strongly correlated from compact clusters. Thus, populations of clusters are more evolved than associations in terms of their spatial distribution, traveling significantly from their birth site within a few tens of Myr whereas associations show evidence of disruption occurring very quickly after their formation. The clustering of the stellar systems resembles that of a turbulent interstellar medium that drives the star formation process, correlating the components in unbound star-forming complexes in a hierarchical manner, dispersing shortly after formation, suggestive of a single, continuous mode of star formation across all galaxies.

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The Evolution of Primordial Binary Open Star Clusters: Mergers, Shredded Secondaries, and Separated Twins

Cited by 28 publications

References 47 publications

Mass segregation and elongation of the starburst cluster Westerlund 1★

Mass segregation and elongation of the starburst cluster Westerlund 1★

The dynamical fate of binary star clusters in the Galactic tidal field

The Hierarchical Distribution of the Young Stellar Clusters in Six Local Star-forming Galaxies

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