Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
2002-12-12
Astrophys.J. 583 (2003) L17-L20
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
accepted for publication in the ApJ Letters; 10 pages in AASTEX preprint format; including 2 postscript figures
Scientific paper
10.1086/367928
The currently most popular models for the dynamical evolution of star clusters predict that the power-law Cluster Luminosity Functions (CLFs) of young star cluster systems will be transformed rapidly into the universal Gaussian CLFs of old Milky Way-type "globular" cluster systems. Here, we provide the first evidence for a turn-over in the intermediate-age, approximately 1 Gyr-old CLF in the center of the nearby starburst galaxy M82, which very closely matches the universal CLFs of old Milky Way-type globular cluster systems. This provides an important test of both cluster disruption theories and hierarchical galaxy formation models. It also lends strong support to the scenario that these young cluster systems may eventually evolve into old Milky Way-type globular cluster systems. M82's proximity, its shortest known cluster disruption time-scale of any galaxy, and its well-defined peak of cluster formation make it an ideal candidate to probe the evolution of its star cluster system to fainter luminosities, and thus lower masses, than has been possible for any galaxy before.
Bastian Nate
de Grijs Richard
Lamers Henny J. G. L. M.
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