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Building Dwarf Galaxies out of Merged Young Star Clusters

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 August 2017

Michael Fellhauer*
Affiliation:
Astronomisches Rechen-Institut, Mönchhofstr. 12-14, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany

Abstract

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Young star clusters in interacting galaxies are often found in groups or clusters of star clusters containing up to 100 single clusters. In our project we study the future fate of these clusters of star clusters. We find that the star clusters merge on time scales of a few dynamical crossing times of the super-cluster. The resulting merger object has similarities with observed dwarf ellipticals (dE). Furthermore, if destructive processes like tidal heating, dynamical friction or interaction with disc or bulge of the parent galaxy are taken into account our merger objects may evolve into objects resembling dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSph), without the need of a high dark matter content.

Type
Part 4. Star Cluster Formation and Evolution: Theory and Observation
Copyright
Copyright © Astronomical Society of the Pacific 2002 

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