Abstract:
Most star formation in the local Universe occurs in a clustered configuration, however the fraction of stars that remain in long-lived, gravitationally bound clusters appears to vary with galactic environment. Since feedback from massive stars is the main obstacle to the formation of massive, self-gravitating clusters, its ability to unbind clusters must vary accordingly. Using a suite of multi-physics MHD star formation simulations with stellar feedback, we survey a wide range of ISM conditions and predict a scaling in the bound cluster formation efficiency that is consistent with observations. This scaling is also consistent with previous analytic predictions, but for very different physical reasons; we thus derive new physical insights about the role of various feedback mechanisms in star cluster formation. When combined with predictions of galactic properties from cosmological simulations, this model allows us to trace star cluster formation across cosmic time and address questions about the origins of globular clusters.

Host: Hui Li