Star clusters disruption and its relation with environment


Esteban Silva-Villa


Université Laval



Two models can be found nowadays in the literature that describe the evolution/disruption of star clusters. For these models, the relation between cluster's evolution/disruption and the local environment is a matter of a large debate. To further understand the evolution and disruption of star clusters, and its relation with their environment (or lack thereof), we present here a radial analyze of the star cluster system for the galaxy NGC5236 (M83). Using existing HST-based catalogues, we created a larger (and more complete) list of star clusters in NGC5236, and studied the cluster system from inside-out over the galaxy. We studied the variations in the age and mass distributions, looking for environmental signatures over the sample. Our results agreed with theoretical predictions from one of the models (mass-dependent disruption model). However, no clear conclusion regarding the second model (mass-independent disruption model) can be directly assess. We concluded that the star cluster system of NGC5236 suggest a relation between cluster's disruption and environment.

Date: Thursday, 15 November 2012
Time: 11:30
Where: Université de Montréal
  Pavillon Roger-Gaudry, local D-460
Contact: David Lafrenière