Potential Formation Sites of Super–Star Clusters in Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies | Zendy

Kenji Bekki | Zendy; W. J. Couch | Zendy

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Potential Formation Sites of Super–Star Clusters in Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies

Author(s) -

Kenji Bekki,

W. J. Couch

Publication year - 2001

Publication title -

the astrophysical journal

Language(s) - English

Resource type - Journals

SCImago Journal Rank - 2.376

H-Index - 489

eISSN - 1538-4357

pISSN - 0004-637X

DOI - 10.1086/323139

Subject(s) - physics , merge (version control) , astrophysics , star cluster , star formation , galaxy , astronomy , luminous infrared galaxy , galaxy merger , infrared , computer science , information retrieval

Recent observational results on high spatial resolution images ofultra-luminous infrared galaxies (ULIGs) have revealed very luminous, young,compact, and heavily obscured super star clusters in their central regions,suggested to be formed by gas-rich major mergers. By using stellar and gaseousnumerical simulations of galaxy mergers, we firstly demonstrate that thecentral regions of ULIGs are the most promising formation sites of super starclusters owing to the rather high gaseous pressure of the interstellar medium.Based on simple analytical arguments, we secondly discuss the possibility thatsuper star clusters in an ULIG can be efficiently transferred into the nuclearregion owing to dynamical friction and consequently merge with one another toform a single compact stellar nucleus with a seed massive black hole. We thussuggest that multiple merging between super star clusters formed by nuclearstarbursts in the central regions of ULIGs can result in the formation ofmassive black holes.Comment: 12 pages 4 figures, 2001, accepted by ApJ

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