The Imprints of IMBHs on the Structure of Globular Clusters: Monte-Carlo Simulations

TL;DR

This paper uses Monte-Carlo simulations to study how intermediate-mass black holes influence the core structure of globular clusters, providing insights into their density profiles with improved realism.

Contribution

First Monte-Carlo simulation study examining the impact of IMBHs on globular cluster core structure, incorporating stellar evolution and realistic star counts.

Findings

IMBHs significantly alter the core density profiles.

Results align with some previous N-body simulation findings.

Provides a new efficient simulation approach for cluster studies.

Abstract

We present the first results of a series of Monte-Carlo simulations investigating the imprint of a central black hole on the core structure of a globular cluster. We investigate the three-dimensional and the projected density profile of the inner regions of idealized as well as more realistic globular cluster models, taking into account a stellar mass spectrum, stellar evolution and allowing for a larger, more realistic, number of stars than was previously possible with direct N-body methods. We compare our results to other N-body simulations published previously in the literature.