Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Jan 2009
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009aas...21333101c&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #213, #331.01; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 41, p.391
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
Scientific paper
As part of our theoretical investigation of cluster formation, we determine the starting configuration of the Pleiades, i.e., the structure that evolved, through dynamical relaxation, to the present-day one. We used the N-body code Starlab to run simulations of the cluster's evolution following removal of its primordial gas. Starting from a range of initial states, we found the one which, over the known cluster age of 125 Myr, gives the best match to present-day conditions. For the latter, we utilize our own previous statistical analysis of Pleiades photometric observations (Converse & Stahler 2007).
We find that the starting configuration had a virial radius of about 4 pc. This figure exceeds the observed radii of embedded clusters with similar populations. In order to reproduce the present-day distribution of stellar masses, the young cluster must already have had substantial mass segregation. These findings suggest that the Pleiades underwent relatively rapid expansion and mass segregation during the final clearing of remnant, molecular gas.
Converse Joseph M.
Stahler Steven W.
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