Santoro, Fernando and Thomas, Peter A (2003) The mass function of primordial star clusters. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 340 (4). pp. 1240-1248. ISSN 0035-8711

Preview

PDF - Published Version Download (237kB) | Preview

Abstract

We use the block model to generate merger trees for the first star clusters in a Λ-cold dark matter cosmology. Using a simple collapse model and cooling criterion, we determine which haloes are able to form stars before being disrupted by mergers. We contrast the mass functions of all the resulting star clusters and those of primordial composition, i.e. star clusters that have not been contaminated by subclusters inside them. In confirmation of previous work, two generations of primordial star clusters are identified: low-temperature clusters that cool via molecular hydrogen, and high-temperature clusters that cool via electronic transitions. The former dominate by number, but the two populations contain a similar mass with the precise balance depending upon the details of the model. We speculate on the current-day distribution of Population III stars.

Item Type:	Article
Schools and Departments:	School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences > Physics and Astronomy
Depositing User:	Peter Thomas
Date Deposited:	06 Feb 2012 18:33
Last Modified:	06 May 2018 23:26
URI:	http://srodev.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/17083

View download statistics for this item

📧 Request an update