Dynamical evolution of massless particles in star clusters with NBODY6++GPU-MASSLESS: I. Free-floating MLPs

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Main Authors: Dotti, Francesco Flammini, Kouwenhoven, M. B. N., Berczik, Peter, Shu, Qi, Spurzem, Rainer
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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author Dotti, Francesco Flammini
Kouwenhoven, M. B. N.
Berczik, Peter
Shu, Qi
Spurzem, Rainer
author_facet Dotti, Francesco Flammini
Kouwenhoven, M. B. N.
Berczik, Peter
Shu, Qi
Spurzem, Rainer
contents Context. Low-mass bodies, such as comets, asteroids, planetesimals, and free-floating planets, are continuously injected into the intra-cluster environment after expulsion from their host planetary systems. These can be modeled as massless particles (MLPs, hereafter). The dynamics of large populations of MLPs, however, has yet received little attention in literature. Aims. We investigate the dynamical evolution of MLP populations in star clusters, and characterize their kinematics and ejection rates. Methods. We present NBODY6++GPU-MASSLESS, a modified version of the N-body simulation code NBODY6++GPU, that allows fast integration of star clusters that contain large numbers of massless particles (MLPs). NBODY6++GPU-MASSLESS contains routines specifically directed at the dynamical evolution of low-mass bodies, such as planets. Results. Unlike stars, MLPs do not participate in the mass segregation process. Instead, MLPs mostly follow the gravitational potential of the star cluster, which gradually decreases over time due to stellar ejections and stellar evolution. The dynamical evolution of MLPs is primarily affected by the evolution of the core of the star cluster. This is most apparent in the outer regions for clusters with higher initial densities. High escape rates of MLPs are observed before the core-collapse, after which escape rates remain stable. Denser star clusters undergo a more intense core collapse, but this does not impact the dynamical evolution of MLPs. The speeds of escaping stars are similar to those of escaping MLPs, when disregarding the high-velocity ejections of neutron stars during the first 50 Myr.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2412_08785
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Dynamical evolution of massless particles in star clusters with NBODY6++GPU-MASSLESS: I. Free-floating MLPs
Dotti, Francesco Flammini
Kouwenhoven, M. B. N.
Berczik, Peter
Shu, Qi
Spurzem, Rainer
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
Earth and Planetary Astrophysics
Astrophysics of Galaxies
Context. Low-mass bodies, such as comets, asteroids, planetesimals, and free-floating planets, are continuously injected into the intra-cluster environment after expulsion from their host planetary systems. These can be modeled as massless particles (MLPs, hereafter). The dynamics of large populations of MLPs, however, has yet received little attention in literature. Aims. We investigate the dynamical evolution of MLP populations in star clusters, and characterize their kinematics and ejection rates. Methods. We present NBODY6++GPU-MASSLESS, a modified version of the N-body simulation code NBODY6++GPU, that allows fast integration of star clusters that contain large numbers of massless particles (MLPs). NBODY6++GPU-MASSLESS contains routines specifically directed at the dynamical evolution of low-mass bodies, such as planets. Results. Unlike stars, MLPs do not participate in the mass segregation process. Instead, MLPs mostly follow the gravitational potential of the star cluster, which gradually decreases over time due to stellar ejections and stellar evolution. The dynamical evolution of MLPs is primarily affected by the evolution of the core of the star cluster. This is most apparent in the outer regions for clusters with higher initial densities. High escape rates of MLPs are observed before the core-collapse, after which escape rates remain stable. Denser star clusters undergo a more intense core collapse, but this does not impact the dynamical evolution of MLPs. The speeds of escaping stars are similar to those of escaping MLPs, when disregarding the high-velocity ejections of neutron stars during the first 50 Myr.
title Dynamical evolution of massless particles in star clusters with NBODY6++GPU-MASSLESS: I. Free-floating MLPs
topic Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
Earth and Planetary Astrophysics
Astrophysics of Galaxies
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.08785