Evolution of the Globular Cluster System in a Triaxial Galaxy

Abstract

Dynamical friction and tidal disruption are effective mechanisms of evolution of globular cluster systems, especially in non-axysimmetric galaxies with a central compact nucleus. With a semi-analytical approach based on the knowledge of the dependence of the dynamical friction and tidal disruption effects on the relevant parameters, we are able to follow the time evolution of the globular cluster system in a model of a triaxial galaxy and give its observable properties to compare with observational data. An important result is that the flatter distribution of the globular cluster system relatively to that of the stellar bulge, as observed in many galaxies, can be explained by the evolution of the globular cluster system, starting from the same density profile.

9 pages, including 7 eps figures; latex file using standard MNRAS style file. Paper submitted to MNRAS