The formation and dynamical evolution of young star clusters

Recent observations have revealed a variety of young star clusters, including embedded systems, young massive clusters, and associations. We study the formation and dynamical evolution of these clusters using a combination of simulations and theoretical models. Our simulations start with a turbulent molecular cloud that collapses under its own gravity. The stars are assumed to form in the densest regions in the collapsing cloud after an initial free-fall times of the molecular cloud. The dynamical evolution of these stellar distributions are continued by means of direct $N$-body simulations. The molecular clouds typical for the Milky Way Galaxy tend to form embedded clusters which evolve to resemble open clusters. The associations were initially considerably more clumpy, but lost their irregularity in about a dynamical time scale due to the relaxation process. The densest molecular clouds, which are absent in the Milky Way but are typical in starburst galaxies, form massive young star clusters. They indeed are rare in the Milky Way. Our models indicate a distinct evolutionary path from molecular clouds to open clusters and associations or to massive star clusters. The mass-radius relation for both types of evolutionary tracks excellently matches the observations. According to our calculations the time evolution of the half-mass radius for open clusters and associations follows $r_{\rm h}/{\rm pc}=2.7(t_{\rm age}/{\rm pc})^{2/3}$, whereas for massive star clusters $r_{\rm h}/{\rm pc}=0.34(t_{\rm age}/{\rm Myr})^{2/3}$. Both trends are consistent with the observed age-mass-radius relation for clusters in the Milky Way.Comment: 16 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in Ap

Dynamical friction on satellite galaxies

For a rigid model satellite, Chandrasekhar's dynamical friction formula describes the orbital evolution quite accurately, when the Coulomb logarithm is chosen appropriately. However, it is not known if the orbital evolution of a real satellite with the internal degree of freedom can be described by the dynamical friction formula. We performed N-body simulation of the orbital evolution of a self-consistent satellite galaxy within a self-consistent parent galaxy. We found that the orbital decay of the simulated satellite is significantly faster than the estimate from the dynamical friction formula. The main cause of this discrepancy is that the stars stripped out of the satellite are still close to the satellite, and increase the drag force on the satellite through two mechanisms. One is the direct drag force from particles in the trailing tidal arm, a non-axisymmetric force that slows the satellite down. The other is the indirect effect that is caused by the particles remaining close to the satellite after escape. The force from them enhances the wake caused in the parent galaxy by dynamical friction, and this larger wake in turn slows the satellite down more than expected from the contribution of its bound mass. We found these two have comparable effects, and the combined effect can be as large as 20% of the total drag force on the satellite.Comment: 15 pages, 10 figures, submitted to PASJ; v2: 14 pages, 13 figures, accepted by PAS