The tidal destruction of globular clusters in the Galaxy

The initial mass function of Galactic globular clusters and internal relaxation and tidal disruption of these clusters are examined as causes for the observed mass range of globular clusters. Extrapolation of the mass function for globular clusters with masses between 10 to the 5th solar masses and 10 to the 6.3 solar masses to clusters with masses greater than 2 x 10 to the 6th solar masses shows that the number of supermassive globular clusters expected at a Galactic radius greater than or equal to 4 kpc is insignificant, explaining the lack of observed supermassive clusters. Extrapolation of the mass function to masses below 10,000 solar masses indicates that submassive clusters should have existed at galactic radii greater than 6 kpc, and should be detectable if they exist. Considerations of mechanical relaxation within a cluster by gravitational interactions and the tidal forces of the Galaxy, however, are used to show that the more concentrated clusters with masses less than 100,000 solar masses and all globular clusters with masses less than 10,000 solar masses regardless of their galactic radius would be destroyed, in agreement with observed mass and spatial distributions of globular clusters.