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The Origin of the Universal Globular Cluster Mass Function

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 September 2007

G. Parmentier  and
G. Gilmore
G. Parmentier
Affiliation:
Argelander Institut fuer Astronomie, University of Bonn, Auf dem Huegel 71, D-53121 Bonn, GermanyScientific Research Worker of Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique, Belgium Humboldt Fellow email: gparm@astro.uni-bonn.de
G. Gilmore
Affiliation:
Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA, UK email: gil@ast.cam.ac.uk
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Abstract

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Evidence favouring a Gaussian initial mass function for systems of old globular clusters has accumulated over recent years. We show that a bell-shaped mass function may be the imprint of expulsion from protoclusters of the leftover star forming gas due to supernova activity. Owing to the corresponding weakening of its gravitational potential, a protocluster retains a fraction only of its newly formed stars. The mass fraction of bound stars extends from zero to unity depending on the star formation efficiency achieved by the protoglobular cloud. We investigate how such wide variations affect the mapping of the protoglobular cloud mass function to the initial globular cluster mass function. We conclusively demonstrate that the universality of the globular cluster mass function originates from a common protoglobular cloud mass-scale of about 106 M⊙ among galaxies. Moreover, gas removal during star formation in massive gas clouds is highlighted as the likely prime cause of the predominance of field stars in the Galactic Halo.

Keywords

globular clusters: generalGalaxy: haloGalaxy: formationgalaxies: star clusters
Type
Contributed Papers
Information
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 3 , Symposium S246: Dynamical Evolution of Dense Stellar Systems , September 2007 , pp. 413 - 417
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2008

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