1,575,474 research outputs found
Globular Clusters in Dense Clusters of Galaxies
Deep imaging data from the Keck II telescope are employed to study the
globular cluster (GC) populations in the cores of six rich Abell clusters. The
sample includes A754, A1644, A2124, A2147, A2151, and A2152, and spans the
redshift range z = 0.035-0.066. The clusters also range in morphology from
spiral-rich, irregular systems to centrally concentrated cD clusters rich in
early-type galaxies. Globular cluster specific frequencies S_N and luminosity
function dispersions are measured for a total of 9 galaxies in six central
fields. The measured values of S_N for the six brightest cluster galaxies
(BCGs) are all higher than typical values for giant ellipticals, in accord with
the known S_N-density correlations. The three non-BCGs analyzed also have
elevated values of S_N, confirming that central location is a primary factor.
The number of GCs per unit mass for these fields are consistent with those
found in an earlier sample, giving further evidence that GC number scales with
mass and that the S_N variations are due to a deficit of halo light, i.e., S_N
reflects mass-to-light ratio.
The discussion builds on an earlier suggestion that the GCs (both metal rich
and metal poor) around the central cluster galaxies were assembled at early
times, and that star formation halted prematurely in the central galaxies at
the epoch of cluster collapse. This is consistent with recent simulations of
BCG/cluster formation. The subsequent addition of luminous material through
cluster dynamical evolution can cause S_N to decrease, and we may be seeing the
first evidence of this. Finally, the GC luminosity function measurements are
used to constrain the relative distances of the three clusters that make up the
Hercules supercluster.Comment: Uses emulateapj.sty (included); 17 pages with 9 included PostScript
figures. Figures 1-6 are separate GIF images (so 15 figures total) available
from http://astro.caltech.edu/~jpb/clusters -- the full PostScript version of
the paper (20 pages; 2.2 Mb compressed) incorporating Figures 1-6 can also be
grabbed from this URL. Accepted for publication in A
Star Clusters
This review concentrates almost entirely on globular star clusters. It
emphasises the increasing realisation that few of the traditional problems of
star cluster astronomy can be studied in isolation: the influence of the Galaxy
affects dynamical evolution deep in the core, and the spectrum of stellar
masses; in turn the evolution of the core determines the highest stellar
densities, and the rate of encounters. In this way external tidal effects
indirectly influence the formation and evolution of blue stragglers, binary
pulsars, X-ray sources, etc. More controversially, the stellar density appears
to influence the relative distribution of normal stars. In the opposite sense,
the evolution of individual stars governs much of the early dynamics of a
globular cluster, and the existence of large numbers of primordial binary stars
has changed important details of our picture of the dynamical evolution. New
computational tools which will become available in the next few years will help
dynamical theorists to address these questions.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures, Te
Photonic Clusters
We show through rigorous calculations that dielectric microspheres can be
organized by an incident electromagnetic plane wave into stable cluster
configurations, which we call photonic molecules. The long-range optical
binding force arises from multiple scattering between the spheres. A photonic
molecule can exhibit a multiplicity of distinct geometries, including
quasicrystal-like configurations, with exotic dynamics. Linear stability
analysis and dynamical simulations show that the equilibrium configurations can
correspond with either stable or a type of quasi-stable states exhibiting
periodic particle motion in the presence of frictional dissipation.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Polytetrahedral Clusters
By studying the structures of clusters bound by a model potential that
favours polytetrahedral order, we find a previously unknown series of `magic
numbers' (i.e. sizes of special stability) whose polytetrahedral structures are
characterized by disclination networks that are analogous to hydrocarbons.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Integrable clusters
The goal of this note is to study quantum clusters in which cluster variables
(not coefficients) commute which each other. It turns out that this property is
preserved by mutations. Remarkably, this is equivalent to the celebrated sign
coherence conjecture recently proved by M. Gross, P. Hacking, S. Keel and M.
KontsevichComment: 3 page
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