Effects of the Primordial Binary Fraction on the Evolution of Globular Clusters.
Abstract
Despite over 150 confirmed globular clusters around the Milky Way, a generalized model of cluster expansion and mass evaporation rates has yet to be developed. Numerical studies have focused on the effects of external tidal fields and stellar evolution, two properties which models suggest play important roles in shaping long-term cluster evolution. Furthermore, there appears to be a correlation between the primordial binary fraction and a cluster's core radius expansion rate. However, there has yet to be a firm quantitative relation. Using the publicly available Nbody6++GPU code, we integrate clusters of varying primordial binary fractions. We present the results of these simulations, which indicate possible relationship between the half-light radius and the expansion rate. Additionally, we present a set of models relating the half-light radius to cluster age for various primordial binary fractions. The SAO REU program is funded in part by the National Science Foundation REU and Department of Defense ASSURE programs under NSF Grant no. AST - 1659473, and by the Smithsonian Institution.
- Publication:
-
American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #233
- Pub Date:
- January 2019
- Bibcode:
- 2019AAS...23324909B