2004/07/31 by Yuexing Li, Mordecai-Mark Mac Low, Mordecai‐Mark Mac Low +1 · 3 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy and Astrophysical Research #Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena #Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1086/425320
published as Astrophys.J. 614 (2004) L29-L32 · ApJL accepted, version with high quality color images can be found in http://research.amnh.org/~yuexing/astro-ph/0407248.pdf
openalex publication_date 2004/09/14 · arxiv created 2005/01/28 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31
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 × 10 5 -5 × 10 6 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.