Formation of Second Generation Stars in Globular Clusters

Understand

By means of grid-based, 3D hydrodynamical simulations we study the formation of second generation (SG) stars in a young globular cluster (GC) of mass 10^7 Msun, the possible progenitor of an old GC with a present mass ~(1-5) * 10^6 Msun.

• The cluster accretes external gas as its first generation (FG) asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars release their ejecta and SG stars form.
• We consider two models characterised by different densities of the external gas.
• In both cases, we find that a very compact SG subsystem with central density >10^5M sun/pc^3 forms in the innermost regions of the cluster.