paper

Star Cluster Formation and Survival in the First Galaxies

arXiv:2212.13946 · doi:10.1093/mnras/stad1092

Abstract

Using radiation-hydrodynamic cosmological simulations, we present a detailed ( pc resolution), physically motivated portrait of a typical-mass dwarf galaxy before the epoch of reionization, resolving the formation and evolution of star clusters into individual star particles. In the rest-frame UV, the galaxy has an irregular morphology with no bulge or galactic disk, dominated by light emitted from numerous, compact, and gravitationally-bound star clusters. This is especially interesting in light of recent HST and JWST observations that -- aided by the magnifying power of gravitational lenses -- have imaged, at parsec-scale resolution, individual young star clusters in the process of forming in similar galaxies at . Because of their low metallicities and high temperatures, star-forming gas clouds in this galaxy have densities times higher than typical giant molecular clouds; hence, their star formation efficiencies are high enough ( per cent) to produce a sizeable population of potential globular cluster progenitors but typically smaller (between a few , sizes of pc) and of lower metallicities (). The initial mass function of the star-forming clouds is log-normal while the bound star cluster mass function is a power-law with a slope that depends mainly on but also on the temporal proximity to a major starburst. We find slopes between and depending on the assumed sub-grid . Star formation is self-regulated on galactic scales; however, the multi-modal metallicity distribution of the star clusters and the fraction of stars locked into surviving bound star clusters depends on .

arXiv comment20 pages, 15 figures, submitted to MNRAS. See https://fred144.github.io/research.html for movie renders

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