Abstract
MANYof the globular clusters in our Galaxy have probably undergone core collapse, and are currently re-expanding 1,2 . This re-expansion requires a central energy source. Previously proposed mechanisms are either inefficient or may produce unacceptably bright cores 3 . Here we explore the most conservative solution to this problem. We suggest that primordial binaries, for which there is now direct evidence 4-6 , could provide the necessary energy. We show that this mechanism leads to relatively large core sizes, containing ∼1% of the total cluster mass. Such a cluster would have a resolvable core (with a size of the order of arcseconds) which would consist mostly of binaries.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 40-42 |
Number of pages | 3 |
Journal | Nature |
Volume | 339 |
Issue number | 6219 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 1 1989 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- General