Investigating the initial conditions of globular clusters via $N$-body simulations: I. half-mass radius and stellar density

Abstract

Born out of the turbulent, dense gas of the early Universe, globular clusters (GCs) represent a significantly different star-formation mode compared to the local Universe. To quantify the initial cluster conditions, we perform the long-term dynamical evolution of GCs using the high-precision direct N-body simulation code PeTar. As the first step in a series of studies, we investigate the two low-mass outer-halo GCs, Eridanus and Whiting 1. By comparing simulated number density profiles with observations, we derive best-fit initial half-mass radii of $2.0\pm 1.0$ pc for Eridanus and $2.5\pm 0.5$ pc for Whiting 1, corresponding to initial surface densities of $2592.03M_{\odot }p{c}^{-2}$ and $226.35M_{\odot }p{c}^{-2}$, respectively -- 2-3 orders of magnitude higher than their present-day values. The absence of multiple populations (MPs) in Whiting 1 and young massive clusters (YMCs), in contrast to the MP-hosting Eridanus, supports the scenario that MP formation requires higher initial surface density and/or lower metallicity. Using the simulations as a template, we identify five high-probability extra-tidal candidates of Whiting 1 from Gaia DR3 and APOGEE DR17, which exhibit coherent kinematics and chemical abundances. Our results demonstrate that the diffuse states of low-mass GCs are the product of long-term dynamical expansion and tidal stripping, and that their primordial configurations were significantly denser.