球状星团的形成与演化（Ⅰ）：观测特征

对与球状星团形成与演化有关的观测特征进行了总结，分别从球产太星团的空间分布特征、金属度分布特征、光度函数和质量函数，以及不同星系中球状星团的数量特征等方面介绍了银河系和河外星系中球状星团的最新观测事实。     

银河系中球状星团的空间分布和运动轨道

选用银河系中29个累积光谱型为F型的球状星团样本。根据它们的视向速度，绝对自行等参数，归算处理后得出了各样本星团的空间分布和运动速度。并以此作为初始条件，在给定的3种银河系引力势模型中，采用数值积分方法计算出各样本星团的运动轨道。计算结果表明：（1）大部分样本星团都位于银心距5kpc-10kpc的范围内，相对于银心呈球对称分布，它们的速度也呈椭球分布；（2）29个样本星团按其金属度大小和基本性发类，可分属HB和MP两个次系，且样本星团数随金属度[Fe/H]而变化，在[Fe/H]＝－1．6处出现一个峰值；（3）所有样本星团的轨道运动都呈周期性，大都在一个有界而不封闭的周期轨道上运动，其最大银心距大都在40kpc以内。不同的引力势模型对球状星团轨道的具体形态影响不大，在给定的引力势模型下，当某些星团的运动轨道穿越距银心1kpc附近的区域时会出现“混沌”行为。而样本星团的金属度与其轨道形态之间的相关性并不明显；（4）29个样本星团的轨道半长轴、远银心距和方位周期随金属度的变化规律基本相似。轨道偏心率与金属度有关，对于所选的晕族样本星团而言，大约有24％的样本星团的轨道偏心率低于0．4，不同的引力势模型对近银心距、偏心率和参数的不确定度等量影响较小，但是对远银心距、径向周期和方位周期等参数影响较为明显。     

星系中球状星团的形成与演化

球状星团与星系的形成和演化过程密切相关,研究球状星团是研究星系形成和演化的重要途径之一。综述了球状星团在观测上的统计结论,观测对理论模型的限制,利用数值模拟和半解析模型研究球状星团形成和演化等阶段的进展。理论研究主要包括球状星团的形成、密度轮廓、初始质量函数,球状星团在质量、大小、空间上的演化,星系并合对球状星团形成和演化的影响等。通过介绍当前研究的主要模型、相关的研究结果以及该领域尚未解决的一些难题,阐明球状星团与星系的关系,深化对球状星团和星系形成和演化的认识。     

球状星团的金属丰度特征与其恒星形成史

本文根据球状星团所特有的金属丰度特征,利用星族综合方法,探讨了球状星团诸恒星的形成史。研究表明,这些恒星不可能通过恒星形成率和初始质量函数均不随时间变化的单一恒星形成模式产生。原初云通过恒星演化而得到金属丰度污染的过程和多数恒星的形成过程必须分为两个不同的阶段。 球状星团得到金属丰度污染的过程中,若恒星形成具有通常的初始质量函数,则其恒星形成率必须较低,且初始质量函数不能太陡,从而使污染过程中只形成数量较少的低质量恒星,以保证单个球状星团内金属丰度的均匀性。另一种可能性是污染阶段有非常特殊的初始质量函数,只形成大质量的恒星,从而除提供适量污染外不留下任何痕迹。 多数恒星应是在原初云不同部位得到适当污染后通过局域的短暂的爆发性恒星形成(星暴过程)产生。本文进一步探讨了在Fan和Rees球状星团形成模型的框架下,两相介质中温云块相互碰撞造成星暴过程的可能性。     

银河系球状星团轨道参数分布的Monte Carlo模拟

选取前文中所列出的29个累积光谱型为F型的球状星团中的3个作为样本，深入研究了初始观测资料的不确定性和选用不同的银河系引力势模型，对样本星团轨道参数的影响。首先采用Monte Carlo方法产生3个样本球状星团的模拟初始观测数据，而后，以这些模拟数据为初始条件，在3种不同的银河系引力势模型下进行轨道计算，得到此3个样本的模拟轨道参数。模拟计算的结果表明：根据模拟初始数据生成的样本轨道参数分布形态大致可分为高斯分布、准高斯分布和非高斯分布等3类；初始观测数据的不确定性对样本轨道参数分布的影响，与样本星团的选择和轨道参数的类型有关；选用不同的银河系引力势模型，对3个样本星团的各个轨道参数的分布和形态结构也会产生不同程度的影响。该工作的结果，可供深入研究球状星团的整体运动和动力学性质等问题参考。     

银河系中球状星团的空间运动

球状星团是银河系中最古老的天体类型之一,其累积光度很大,是银晕中重要的示踪天体。已以发现的银河系球状星团有１４０多个,其中１２０个银心距Ｒ〈４０Ｋｐｃ的星团已被准确地测定了视向速度。根据结数据以及球状星团金属度的统计分析,可以把球状星团次系再进一步分成某些不同的族群。目前已经测定过绝对自行的球状星团只有３８个,尽管这些自行的精度比视向速度和距离的精度差很多,然而,由此可以得出三维的空间速度,在统计     

球状星团致密度及其演化

根据球状星团动力学演化理论,本文探讨了球状星团致密度的演化与球状星用质量和位置的关系。结果表明,银心距和球状星团质量都与致密度的演化紧密相关。一般来说,银心距很大时致密度演化极少,球状星团质量愈大致密度演化愈缓慢。对现有球状星团致密度的分布作了统计研究,结果表明,在银心距较小的区域,致密度的分布与理论分析结果一致。在大银心距处发现,质量不同的球状星团其致密度分布有明显不同,它可能反映了球状星团形成阶段其致密度与质量紧密相关。     

金属丰度对球状星团动力学演化的影响

动力学过程和恒星演化及二者的互相影响都会对球状星团的演化产生重要影响.由于金属丰度会影响恒星的演化轨迹,与之相伴随的恒星质量损失率的变化也会对球状星团的动力学过程造成影响.通过一系列N体模拟研究金属丰度对球状星团的质量损失率、半径等的影响,并分析其原因,同时研究了大质量恒星以及星团初始数密度分布的影响.模拟中采用的球状星团模型初始成员星数目N=50000,运行于类银河系的引力势中并考虑成员星的演化.结果显示,由于低金属丰度恒星拥有较快的演化时标,所以贫金属球状星团在早期会拥有较高的质量损失,但与此同时它们的核塌缩时间会比后者显著推迟,因此在核塌缩之后其质量损失会被富金属星团反超.另外由于大质量恒星演化导致的质量损失较大,所以大质量星的存在会使金属丰度更加显著地影响球状星团早期的扩张以及随后的核塌缩过程,同时星团的初始数密度分布也对该效应有着不可忽视的影响.     

球状星团的形成与演化(Ⅱ):模型

简要介绍了若干关于球状星团形成与演化的代表性模型，包括球状星团诞生于星系形成之前的模型、自增丰演化模型、原始云团的碰撞聚合模型、两阶段形成模型以及星系并合激发形成球状星团的模型和吸积模型等。     

球状星团的性质和演化(Ⅰ):球状星团的年龄、分布和运动

本文详细地介绍了利用球状星团颜色一星等图确定球状星团年龄的方法、难点和一般结果。这种方法与估计宇宙年龄的其他两种方法彼此完全独立,但估出的宇宙年龄大体相符。球状星团与疏散星团年龄相比要老得多,表明它们是在银河系形成初期形成的恒星系统。球状星团的金属丰度分布,以及空间分布、运动性质与金属丰度的相关性,提供了球状星团形成过程的信息。邻近星系中球状星团的观测更丰富了人们对球状星团的了解。     

Keck imaging of the globular cluster systems in the early-type galaxies NGC 1052 and 7332

The presence of two globular cluster subpopulations in early-type galaxies is now the norm rather than the exception. Here we present two more examples for which the host galaxy appears to have undergone a recent merger. Using multi-colour Keck imaging of NGC 1052 and 7332 we find evidence for a bimodal globular cluster colour distribution in both galaxies, with roughly equal numbers of blue and red globular clusters. The blue ones have similar colours to those in the Milky Way halo and are thus probably very old and metal-poor. If the red globular cluster subpopulations are at least of solar metallicity, then stellar population models indicate young ages. We discuss the origin of globular clusters within the framework of formation models. We conclude that recent merger events in these two galaxies have had little effect on their overall globular cluster systems. We also derive globular cluster density profiles, global specific frequencies and, in the case of NGC 1052, radial colour gradients and azimuthal distribution. In general these globular cluster properties are normal for early-type galaxies.     

Evolution of globular cluster systems in three galaxies of the Fornax cluster

We studied and compared the radial profiles of globular clusters and of the stellar bulge component in three galaxies of the Fornax cluster observed with the WFPC2 of the Hubble Space Telescope ( HST ). The stars are more concentrated toward the galactic centres than globular clusters, in agreement with what has already been observed in many other galaxies: if the observed difference is the result of evolution of the globular cluster systems starting from initial profiles similar to those of the halo–bulge stellar components, a relevant fraction of their initial mass (74, 47 and 52 per cent for NGC 1379, 1399 and 1404, respectively) should have disappeared in the inner regions. This mass has probably contributed to the nuclear field population, local dynamics and high-energy phenomena in the primeval life of the galaxy. An indication in favour of the evolutionary interpretation of the difference between the globular cluster system and stellar bulge radial profiles is given by the positive correlation we found between the value of the mass lost from the globular cluster system and the central galactic black hole mass in the set of seven galaxies for which these data are available.     

Dynamical friction on globular clusters in core-triaxial galaxies: is it a cause of massive black hole accretion?

The present work extends and deepens previous examinations of the evolution of globular cluster orbits in elliptical galaxies, by means of numerical integrations of a wide set of orbits in five self-consistent triaxial galactic models characterized by a central core and different axial ratios. These models are valid and complete in the representation of regular orbits in elliptical galaxies. Dynamical friction is definitely shown to be an efficient cause of evolution for the globular cluster systems in elliptical galaxies of any mass or axial ratio. Moreover, our statistically significant sample of computed orbits confirms that the globular cluster orbital decay times are, at least for clusters moving on box orbits, much shorter than the age of the galaxies. Consequently, the mass carried into the innermost galactic region in the form of decayed globular clusters may have contributed significantly to feeding and accreting a compact object therein.     

The Effect of Method of Constructing the Mass Distribution on Single Stellar Populations

We use two methods of constructing the initial mass distribution, the traditional way and Monte Carlo simulation, to obtain integrated U - B, B - V, V-R and V-I colours and absorption-line indices denned by the Lick Observatory image dissector scanner (referred to as Lick/IDS), for instantaneous burst solarmetallicity single stellar populations with ages in the range 1-15 Gyr. We find that the evolutionary curves of all colours obtained by the traditional method are smoother than those by Monte Carlo simulation, that the U - B and B - V colours obtained by the two methods agree with one another, while the V - R and V - I colours by the traditional method are bluer than those by Monte Carlo simulation. A comparison of the Lick/IDS absorption-line indices shows that the variations in all the indices by the traditional method are smoother than that for the Monte Carlo simulation, and that all the indices except for TiO1 and TiO2 are consistent with those for the Monte Carlo simulation.     

Warped discs and the directional stability of jets in active galactic nuclei

The radial distribution of globular clusters in galaxies is always less peaked to the centre than that of the halo stars. Extending previous work to a sample of Hubble Space Telescope globular cluster systems in ellipticals, we evaluate the number of clusters potentially lost to the galactic centre as the integrals of the difference between the observed globular cluster system distribution and the underlying halo light profile. In the sample of galaxies examined it is found that the initial populations of globular clusters may have been ∼30 per cent to 50 per cent richer than now. If these 'missing' globular clusters have decayed and have been partly destroyed in the very central galactic zones, they have carried there a significant quantity of mass that, plausibly, contributed to the formation and feeding of a massive object therein. It is relevant to note that the observed correlation between the core radius of the globular cluster system and the parent galaxy luminosity can be interpreted as a result of evolution.     

Evolution of globular cluster systems in elliptical galaxies – II. Power-law initial mass function

We have studied the evolution of globular cluster systems (GCS) in elliptical galaxies with a power-law initial GCS mass function (GCMF) f ( M )∝ M ^{− α} ] similar to that predicted by some theoretical studies of globular cluster formation and to that of young cluster systems observed in merging galaxies.
We have carried out a survey over a large number of different host galaxies and we have considered different values for the index, α , of the initial power-law GCMF ( α =1.5, 1.8, 2.0); we show the dependence of the main GCS final properties (mean mass and dispersion of the final GCMF, fraction of surviving clusters, radial gradient of the GCMF parameters) on the structure of the host galaxy and on the slope of the initial GCMF.
For a subsample of host galaxies with values of effective masses and radii equal to those determined using observational data for a number of giant, normal and dwarf galaxies, our results show that the relation between the final GCMF properties and those of the host galaxies as well as the dependence of the final GCMF parameters on the galactocentric distance within individual galaxies differ from those observed in old GCS: the values of the final GCS mean mass are in general smaller (4.2≲ log  M _f≲5.0) than those observed, and the galaxy-to-galaxy dispersion of log  M _f is larger than that reported by observational analyses. The results are compared with those of a companion paper in which we investigated the evolution of GCS with a log-normal initial GCMF and in which the final GCS properties were perfectly consistent with observations.     

Evolutionary synthesis of stellar populations: a modular tool

A new tool for the evolutionary synthesis of stellar populations is presented, which is based on three independent matrices, giving respectively (1) the fuel consumption during each evolutionary phase as a function of stellar mass, (2) the typical temperatures and gravities during such phases, and (3) the colours and bolometric corrections as functions of gravity and temperature. The modular structure of the code allows one easily to assess the impact on the synthetic spectral energy distribution of the various assumptions and model ingredients, such as, for example, uncertainties in stellar evolutionary models, the mixing length, the temperature distribution of horizontal branch stars, asymptotic giant branch mass loss, and colour–temperature transformations. The so-called 'AGB phase transition' in Magellanic Cloud clusters is used to calibrate the contribution of the thermally pulsing asymptotic giant branch phase to the synthetic integrated luminosity. As an illustrative example, solar-metallicity ( Y  = 0.27, Z  = 0.02) models, with ages ranging between 30 Myr and 15 Gyr and various choices for the slope of the initial mass function, are presented. Synthetic broad-band colours and the luminosity contributions of the various evolutionary stages are compared with Large Magellanic Cloud and Galactic globular cluster data. In all these cases, a good agreement is found. Finally, the evolution is presented of stellar mass-to-light ratios in the bolometric and U B V R K passbands, in which the contribution of stellar remnants is accounted for.     

UBRI photometry of globular clusters in the Leo group galaxy NGC 3379

We present wide-area UBRI photometry for globular clusters around the Leo group galaxy NGC 3379. Globular cluster candidates are selected from their B -band magnitudes and their  ( U − B ) _o   versus  ( B − I ) _o   colours. A colour–colour selection region was defined from photometry of the Milky Way and M31 globular cluster systems. We detect 133 globular cluster candidates, which supports previous claims of a low specific frequency for NGC 3379.
The Milky Way and M31 reveal blue and red subpopulations, with  ( U − B ) _o   and  ( B − I ) _o   colours indicating mean metallicities similar to those expected based on previous spectroscopic work. The stellar population models of Maraston and Brocato et al. are consistent with both subpopulations being old, and with metallicities of  [Fe/H]∼−1.5  and −0.6 for the blue and red subpopulations, respectively. The models of Worthey do not reproduce the  ( U − B ) _o   colours of the red (metal-rich) subpopulation for any modelled age.
For NGC 3379 we detect a blue subpopulation with similar colours, and presumably age/metallicity, to that of the Milky Way and M31 globular cluster systems. The red subpopulation is less well defined, perhaps due to increased photometric errors, but indicates a mean metallicity of [Fe/H]∼−0.6.     

A 'super' star cluster grown old: the most massive star cluster in the Local Group

We independently redetermine the reddening and age of the globular cluster (GC) 037−B327 in M31 by comparing independently obtained multicolour photometry with theoretical stellar population synthesis models. 037−B327 has long been known to have a very large reddening value, which we confirm to be   E ( B − V ) = 1.360 ± 0.013  , in good agreement with the previous results. We redetermine its most likely age at  12.4 ± 3.2 Gyr  .
037−B327 is a prime example of an unusually bright early counterpart to the ubiquitous 'super' star clusters presently observed in most high-intensity star-forming regions in the local Universe. In order to have survived for a Hubble time, we conclude that its stellar initial mass function (IMF) cannot have been top-heavy. Using this constraint, and a variety of simple stellar population (SSP) models, we determine a photometric mass of     , somewhat depending on the SSP models used, the metallicity and age adopted and the IMF representation. This mass, and its relatively small uncertainties, makes this object the most massive star cluster of any age in the Local Group. Assuming that the photometric mass estimate thus derived is fairly close to its dynamical mass, we predict that this GC has a (one-dimensional) velocity dispersion of the order of  (72 ± 13) km s⁻¹  . As a surviving 'super' star cluster, this object is of prime importance for theories aimed at describing massive star cluster evolution.     

HST imaging of the globular clusters in the Fornax cluster: NGC 1399 and NGC 1404

The Fornax cluster galaxies NGC 1399 and NGC 1404 are ideal for studying the effects of a cluster environment on globular cluster systems. Here we present new optical imaging of these two galaxies from both the Hubble Space Telescope 's Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 and the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory 1.5-m telescope. The combination of both data sets provides a unique insight on the spatial and colour distribution of globular clusters. From B − I colours, we find that both galaxies have a broad globular cluster metallicity distribution that is inconsistent with a single population. Two Gaussians provide a reasonable representation of the metallicity distribution in each galaxy. The metal-rich subpopulation is more centrally concentrated than the metal-poor one. We show that the radial metallicity gradient can be explained by the changing relative mix of the two globular cluster subpopulations. We derive globular cluster surface density profiles, and find that they are flatter (i.e., more extended) than the underlying starlight. The total number of globular clusters and specific frequency are calculated to be N =5700±500, S_N =11.5±1.0 for NGC 1399, and N =725±145, S_N =2.0±0.5 for NGC 1404. Our results are compared with the expectations of globular cluster formation scenarios.