English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Free Plan

We present the results of a self-consistent $N$-body simulation following theevolution of a primordial population of thick disc globular clusters (GCs). Westudy how the internal properties of such clusters evolve under the action ofmutual interactions, while they orbit a Milky Way-like galaxy. For the firsttime, through analytical and numerical considerations, we find that physicalencounters between disc GCs are a crucial factor that contributed to the shapeof the current properties of the Galactic GC system. Close passages or motionon similar orbits may indeed have a significant impact on the internalstructure of clusters, producing multiple gravitationally bound sub-populationsthrough the exchange of mass and even mergers. Our model produces two majormergers and a few small mass exchanges between pairs of GCs. Two of our GCsaccrete stars from two companions, ending up with three internalsub-populations. We propose these early interactions and mergers between thickdisc GCs with slightly different initial chemical compositions as a possibleexplanation for the presence of the spreads in metallicity observed in some ofthe massive Milky Ways GCs.

Mergers, tidal interactions, and mass exchange in a population of disc globular clusters