# MOCCA Survey Database I: Dissolution of tidally filling star clusters harbouring BH subsystems

## TL;DR

This paper explores a third mechanism for star cluster dissolution driven by stellar-mass black hole subsystems, leading to abrupt cluster disintegration and potential observational signatures like dark clusters and free-floating black holes.

## Contribution

It introduces a new dissolution mechanism involving black hole subsystems causing rapid cluster disintegration, expanding understanding beyond traditional mass-loss processes.

## Key findings

- Black hole subsystems can cause abrupt cluster dissolution.
- Dissolution results from energy generation and tidal stripping.
- Potential observational signatures include dark clusters and free black holes.

## Abstract

We investigate the dissolution process for dynamically evolving star clusters embedded in an external tidal field by exploring the MOCCA Survey Database I, with focus on the presence and evolution of a stellar-mass black hole subsystem. We argue that the presence of a black hole subsystem can lead to the dissolution of tidally filling star clusters and this can be regarded as a third type of cluster dissolution mechanism (in addition to well-known mechanisms connected with strong mass loss due to stellar evolution and mass loss connected with the relaxation process). This third process is characterized by abrupt cluster dissolution connected with the loss of dynamical equilibrium. The abrupt dissolution is powered by strong energy generation from a stellar-mass black hole subsystem accompanied by tidal stripping. Additionally, we argue that such a mechanism should also work for even tidally under-filling clusters with top-heavy initial mass function. Observationally, star clusters which undergo dissolution powered by the third mechanism would look as a 'dark cluster' i.e. composed of stellar mass black holes surrounded by an expanding halo of luminous stars (Banerjee & Kroupa 2011), and they should be different from 'dark clusters' harbouring intermediate mass black holes as discussed by Askar et al. (2017a). An additional observational consequence of an operation of the third dissolution mechanism should be a larger than expected abundance of free floating black holes in the Galactic halo.