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We reexamine the dynamical evolution of the mass and luminosity functions ofglobular star clusters (GCMF and GCLF). Fall & Zhang (2001, hereafter FZ01)showed that a power-law MF, as commonly seen among young cluster systems, wouldevolve by dynamical processes over a Hubble time into a peaked MF with a shapevery similar to the observed GCMF in the Milky Way and other galaxies. Tosimplify the calculations, the semi-analytical FZ01 model adopted the"classical" theory of stellar escape from clusters, and neglected variations inthe $M/L$ ratios of clusters. Kruijssen & Portegies Zwart (2009, hereafterKPZ09) modified the FZ01 model to include "retarded" and mass-dependent stellarescape, the latter causing significant $M/L$ variations. KPZ09 asserted thattheir model was compatible with observations whereas the FZ01 model was not. Weshow here that this claim is not correct; the FZ01 and KPZ09 models fit theobserved Galactic GCLF equally well. We also show that there is no detectablecorrelation between $M/L$ and $L$ for GCs in the Milky Way and Andromedagalaxies, in contradiction with the KPZ09 model. Our comparisons of the FZ01and KPZ09 models with observations can be explained most simply if stars escapeat rates approaching the classical limit for high-mass clusters, as expected ontheoretical grounds.

Evolution of the Mass and Luminosity Functions of Globular Star Clusters