The Evolution of the Globular Cluster System in a Triaxial Galaxy: Can a Galactic Nucleus Form by Globular Cluster Capture?

Abstract

Among the possible phenomena inducing evolution of the globular cluster system in an elliptical galaxy, dynamical friction due to field stars and tidal disruption caused by a central nucleus is of crucial importance. The aim of this paper is the study of the evolution of the globular cluster system in a triaxial galaxy in the presence of these phenomena. In particular, the possibility is examined that some galactic nuclei have been formed by frictionally decayed globular clusters moving in a triaxial potential. We find that the initial rapid growth of the nucleus, due mainly to massive clusters on box orbits falling in a short time scale into the galactic center, is later slowed by tidal disruption induced by the nucleus itself on less massive clusters in the way described by Ostriker, Binney, and Saha. The efficiency of dynamical friction is such to carry to the center of the galaxy enough globular cluster mass available to form a compact nucleus, but the actual modes and results of cluster-cluster encounters in the central potential well are complicated phenomena which remains to be investigated. The mass of the resulting nucleus is determined by the mutual feedback of the described processes, together with the initial spatial, velocity, and mass distributions of the globular cluster family. The effect on the system mass function is studied, showing the development of a low- and high-mass turnover even with an initially flat mass function. Moreover, in this paper is discussed the possibility that the globular cluster fall to the galactic center has been a cause of primordial violent galactic activity. An application of the model to M31 is presented.