Galactic Nuclei Activity Sustained by Globular Cluster Mass Accretion

Abstract

The decay of globular clusters to the center of their mother galaxy corresponds to carrying a quantity of mass sufficient to sustain the gravitational activity of a small pre-existing nucleus and to accrete it in a significant way. This is due to both dynamical friction of field stars and tidal disruption by the compact nucleus. The results of the simplified model presented here show that the active galactic nuclei luminosity and lifetime depend on the characteristics of the globular cluster system and are quite insensitive to the nucleus' initial mass.

8 pages Latex + 1 eps figure, memsait.sty and epsf.sty included; to be published on PASS special issue on Cel. Mechanics