Open AccessConstraining white‐dwarf kicks in globular clusters – III. Cluster heating
Author(s) -
Heyl Jeremy
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
monthly notices of the royal astronomical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.058
H-Index - 383
eISSN - 1365-2966
pISSN - 0035-8711
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2008.13724.x
Subject(s) - globular cluster , physics , white dwarf , astrophysics , stars , cluster (spacecraft) , astronomy , star cluster , open cluster , blue straggler , horizontal branch , computer science , programming language
Recent observations of white dwarfs in globular clusters indicate that these stars may get a velocity kick during their time as giants. This velocity kick could originate naturally if the mass loss while on the asymptotic giant branch is slightly asymmetric. The kicks may be large enough to dramatically change the radial distribution of young white dwarfs, giving them larger energies than other stars in the cluster. As these energetic white dwarfs travel through the cluster, they can impart their excess energy on the other stars in the cluster. This new heat source for globular clusters is expected to be largest during the clusters' youth.