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Nuclear star clusters

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 January 2010

Torsten Böker
Torsten Böker*
Affiliation:
European Space Agency, Keplerlaan 1, 200AG Noordwijk, the Netherlands email: tboeker@rssd.esa.int
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Abstract

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The centers of most galaxies in the local Universe are occupied by compact, barely resolved sources. Based on their structural properties, position in the Fundamental Plane, and integrated spectra, these sources clearly have a stellar origin. They are therefore called ‘nuclear star clusters’ (NCs) or ‘stellar nuclei’. NCs are found in galaxies of all Hubble types, suggesting that their formation is intricately linked to galaxy evolution. Here, I review some recent studies of NCs, describe ideas for their formation and subsequent growth, and touch on their possible evolutionary connection with both supermassive black holes and globular clusters.

Keywords

galaxies: nucleigalaxies: star clusters
Type
Contributed Papers
Information
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 5 , Symposium S266: Star clusters: basic galactic building blocks throughout time and space , August 2009 , pp. 58 - 63
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2010

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