How Many Young Star Clusters Exist in the Galactic Center?

We study the evolution and observability of young compact star clusterswithin about 200pc of the Galactic center. Calculations are performed usingdirect N-body integration on the GRAPE-4, including the effects of both stellarand binary evolution and the external influence of the Galaxy. The results ofthese detailed calculations are used to calibrate a simplified model applicableover a wider range of cluster initial conditions. We find that clusters within200 pc from the Galactic center dissolve within about 70 Myr. However, theirprojected densities drop below the background density in the direction of theGalactic center within 20 Myr, effectively making these clusters undetectableafter that time. Clusters farther from the Galactic center but at the sameprojected distance are more strongly affected by this selection effect, and maygo undetected for their entire lifetimes. Based on these findings, we concludethat the region within 200 pc of the Galactic center could easily harbor some50 clusters with properties similar to those of the Arches or the Quintupletsystems.