{
  "id": "1809.04350",
  "version": "v1",
  "published": "2018-09-12T10:29:31.000Z",
  "updated": "2018-09-12T10:29:31.000Z",
  "title": "Mergers, tidal interactions, and mass exchange in a population of disc globular clusters",
  "authors": [
    "Sergey Khoperskov",
    "Alessandra Mastrobuono-Battisti",
    "Paola Di Matteo",
    "Misha Haywood"
  ],
  "comment": "13 pages, 9 figures, 6 embedded animations (for Acrobat only); high resolution movies available at https://goo.gl/YC546A; accepted by A&A",
  "categories": [
    "astro-ph.GA",
    "astro-ph.CO"
  ],
  "abstract": "We present the results of a self-consistent $N$-body simulation following the evolution of a primordial population of thick disc globular clusters (GCs). We study how the internal properties of such clusters evolve under the action of mutual interactions, while they orbit a Milky Way-like galaxy. For the first time, through analytical and numerical considerations, we find that physical encounters between disc GCs are a crucial factor that contributed to the shape of the current properties of the Galactic GC system. Close passages or motion on similar orbits may indeed have a significant impact on the internal structure of clusters, producing multiple gravitationally bound sub-populations through the exchange of mass and even mergers. Our model produces two major mergers and a few small mass exchanges between pairs of GCs. Two of our GCs accrete stars from two companions, ending up with three internal sub-populations. We propose these early interactions and mergers between thick disc GCs with slightly different initial chemical compositions as a possible explanation for the presence of the spreads in metallicity observed in some of the massive Milky Ways GCs.",
  "revisions": [
    {
      "version": "v1",
      "updated": "2018-09-12T10:29:31.000Z"
    }
  ],
  "analyses": {
    "keywords": [
      "tidal interactions",
      "multiple gravitationally bound sub-populations",
      "thick disc globular clusters",
      "disc gcs",
      "small mass exchanges"
    ],
    "note": {
      "typesetting": "TeX",
      "pages": 13,
      "language": "en",
      "license": "arXiv",
      "status": "editable"
    }
  }
}