The evolution of the surface brightness of a star cluster as a result of residual star-forming gas expulsion
arXiv:1112.1068 · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2011.20302.x
Abstract
Direct N-body calculations are presented of the early evolution of exposed clusters to quantify the influence of gas expulsion on the time-varying surface brightness. By assuming that the embedded OB stars drive out most of the gas after a given time delay, the change of the surface brightness of expanding star clusters is studied. The influence of stellar dynamics and stellar evolution is discussed. The growth of the core radii of such models shows a remarkable core re-virialisation. The decrease of the surface mass density during gas expulsion is large and is only truncated by this re-virialisation process. However, the surface brightness within a certain radius does not increase noticeably. Thus, an embedded star cluster cannot reappear in observational surveys after re-virialisation. This finding has a bearing on the observed infant mortality fraction.
7 pages, 4 figures, and 2 tables. Accepted 2011 November 29
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Cited by in corpus (8)
- The expansion of massive young star clusters - observation meets theory
- Cluster dynamics largely shapes protoplanetary disc sizes
- Do the majority of stars form as gravitationally unbound?
- Oort cloud Ecology II: The chronology of the formation of the Oort cloud
- Reaction of Massive Clusters to Gas Expulsion - The cluster density dependence
- The formation of clusters and OB associations in different density spiral arm environments
- The viscous evolution of circumstellar discs in young star clusters
- The mass function and dynamical mass of young star clusters: Why their initial crossing-time matters crucially