Star clusters as tracers of galactic nuclei properties

TL;DR

This paper uses detailed N-body simulations to explore how nuclear star clusters, supermassive black holes, and galactic nuclei interact across a range of galaxy masses, providing insights into their co-evolution.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive set of N-body simulations modeling the evolution of galactic nuclei with nuclear clusters and black holes, revealing their dynamic interplay.

Findings

Nuclear clusters and SMBHs coexist and influence each other's evolution.

Galaxy mass impacts the formation and stability of nuclear clusters.

Simulations show diverse evolutionary pathways depending on initial conditions.

Abstract

We present a series of $N$-body simulations representing the evolution of a galactic nucleus and its stellar content in a nearly one-to-one representation. The aim of this suite of simulations is to shed light on the interplay between nuclear clusters (NCs), super-massive black holes (SMBH) and the galactic nuclei in which they are contained. We modelled galaxies with masses from few times $10^8$ to $10^{11}$ M$_\odot$, hosting in their nucleus a number of globular clusters and, in some cases, a central SMBH.