Formation of globular clusters in galaxy mergers

Yuexing Li; Mordecai Mark Mac Low; Ralf S. Klessen

doi:10.1086/425320

Formation of globular clusters in galaxy mergers

Yuexing Li
, Mordecai Mark Mac Low
, Ralf S. Klessen

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

57 Scopus citations

Abstract

We present a high-resolution simulation of globular cluster formation in a galaxy merger. For the first time in such a simulation, individual star clusters are directly identified and followed on their orbits. We quantitatively compare star formation in the merger to that in the unperturbed galaxies. The merging galaxies show a strong starburst, in sharp contrast to their isolated progenitors. Most star clusters form in the tidal features. With a mass range of 5 × 10⁵-5 × 10⁶ M _⊙, they are identified as globular clusters. The merger remnant is an elliptical galaxy. Clusters with different masses or ages have different radial distributions in the galaxy. Our results show that the high specific frequency and bimodal distribution of metallicity observed in elliptical galaxies are natural products of gas-rich mergers, supporting a merger origin for the ellipticals and their globular cluster systems.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	L29-L32
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	614
Issue number	1 II
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1086/425320
State	Published - Oct 10 2004

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

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10.1086/425320

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@article{f98c643fb1fc4d62abc6a5e66112f587,

title = "Formation of globular clusters in galaxy mergers",

abstract = "We present a high-resolution simulation of globular cluster formation in a galaxy merger. For the first time in such a simulation, individual star clusters are directly identified and followed on their orbits. We quantitatively compare star formation in the merger to that in the unperturbed galaxies. The merging galaxies show a strong starburst, in sharp contrast to their isolated progenitors. Most star clusters form in the tidal features. With a mass range of 5 × 105-5 × 106 M ⊙, they are identified as globular clusters. The merger remnant is an elliptical galaxy. Clusters with different masses or ages have different radial distributions in the galaxy. Our results show that the high specific frequency and bimodal distribution of metallicity observed in elliptical galaxies are natural products of gas-rich mergers, supporting a merger origin for the ellipticals and their globular cluster systems.",

author = "Yuexing Li and \{Mac Low\}, \{Mordecai Mark\} and Klessen, \{Ralf S.\}",

note = "Funding Information: We thank V. Springel for use of both GADGET and his galaxy initial condition generator, and for useful discussions. We also thank A.-K. Jappsen for participating in the implementation of sink particles in GADGET; K. Bekki, O. Gnedin, R. McCray, M. Shara, and S. Zepf for stimulating discussions; and the anonymous referee for valuable comments that have helped to improve this manuscript. This work was supported by NSF grants AST 99-85392 and AST 03-07854, NASA grant NAG 5-13028, and DFG grant KL1358/1. Computations were performed at the Pittsburgh Supercomputer Center, supported by the NSF, on the Parallel Computing Facility of the AMNH, and on an Ultrasparc III cluster generously donated by Sun Microsystems.",

year = "2004",

month = oct,

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doi = "10.1086/425320",

language = "English (US)",

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pages = "L29--L32",

journal = "Astrophysical Journal",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Formation of globular clusters in galaxy mergers

AU - Li, Yuexing

AU - Mac Low, Mordecai Mark

AU - Klessen, Ralf S.

N1 - Funding Information: We thank V. Springel for use of both GADGET and his galaxy initial condition generator, and for useful discussions. We also thank A.-K. Jappsen for participating in the implementation of sink particles in GADGET; K. Bekki, O. Gnedin, R. McCray, M. Shara, and S. Zepf for stimulating discussions; and the anonymous referee for valuable comments that have helped to improve this manuscript. This work was supported by NSF grants AST 99-85392 and AST 03-07854, NASA grant NAG 5-13028, and DFG grant KL1358/1. Computations were performed at the Pittsburgh Supercomputer Center, supported by the NSF, on the Parallel Computing Facility of the AMNH, and on an Ultrasparc III cluster generously donated by Sun Microsystems.

PY - 2004/10/10

Y1 - 2004/10/10

N2 - We present a high-resolution simulation of globular cluster formation in a galaxy merger. For the first time in such a simulation, individual star clusters are directly identified and followed on their orbits. We quantitatively compare star formation in the merger to that in the unperturbed galaxies. The merging galaxies show a strong starburst, in sharp contrast to their isolated progenitors. Most star clusters form in the tidal features. With a mass range of 5 × 105-5 × 106 M ⊙, they are identified as globular clusters. The merger remnant is an elliptical galaxy. Clusters with different masses or ages have different radial distributions in the galaxy. Our results show that the high specific frequency and bimodal distribution of metallicity observed in elliptical galaxies are natural products of gas-rich mergers, supporting a merger origin for the ellipticals and their globular cluster systems.

AB - We present a high-resolution simulation of globular cluster formation in a galaxy merger. For the first time in such a simulation, individual star clusters are directly identified and followed on their orbits. We quantitatively compare star formation in the merger to that in the unperturbed galaxies. The merging galaxies show a strong starburst, in sharp contrast to their isolated progenitors. Most star clusters form in the tidal features. With a mass range of 5 × 105-5 × 106 M ⊙, they are identified as globular clusters. The merger remnant is an elliptical galaxy. Clusters with different masses or ages have different radial distributions in the galaxy. Our results show that the high specific frequency and bimodal distribution of metallicity observed in elliptical galaxies are natural products of gas-rich mergers, supporting a merger origin for the ellipticals and their globular cluster systems.

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U2 - 10.1086/425320

DO - 10.1086/425320

M3 - Article

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SN - 0004-637X

VL - 614

SP - L29-L32

JO - Astrophysical Journal

JF - Astrophysical Journal

IS - 1 II

ER -

Formation of globular clusters in galaxy mergers

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