Properties of Globular Clusters in Galaxy Clusters: Sensitivity from the Formation and Evolution of Globular Clusters

TL;DR

This study models globular cluster properties within galaxy clusters using semi-analytical methods, examining how formation, evolution, and disruption parameters influence observable characteristics and their agreement with real data.

Contribution

It introduces a particle tagging and semi-analytical approach to simulate globular cluster formation and evolution in a cosmological context, exploring parameter sensitivities and observational comparisons.

Findings

Globular cluster mass ratios vary with galaxy properties.

The spatial distribution of globular clusters depends on formation and disruption parameters.

Model results align with observed metallicity gradients and cluster occupancy.

Abstract

We investigate the properties of globular clusters in a galaxy cluster, using the particle tagging method with a semi-analytical approach in a cosmological context. We assume globular clusters form from dark matter halo mergers and their metallicity is assigned based on the stellar mass of the host dark matter halos and the formation redshift of GCs. Dynamical evolution and disruption of globular clusters are considered using semi-analytical approaches, controlled by several free parameters. In this paper, we investigate how our results are changed by the choice of free parameters. We compare our fiducial results with representative observations, including the mass ratio between the globular cluster system and its host galaxy, the globular cluster occupancy, the number fraction of blue globular clusters, and the metallicity gradient with the globular cluster mass. Because we can know the positions of globular clusters with time, comparison with additional observations is possible, e.g., the median radii of the globular cluster system in individual galaxies, the mean projected density profiles of intracluster globular clusters, and metallicity and age gradients of globular clusters with a clustercentric radius. We also find that the specific mass of the globular cluster system in each galaxy is different with a clustercentric radius.