Formation and Disruption of Globular Star Clusters

Abstract

In the first part of this article, we review observations of the mass and luminosity functions of young and old star cluster systems. We also review some of the physical processes that may determine the characteristic mass of globular clusters and the form of their mass function. In the second part of this article, we summarize our models for the disruption of clusters and the corresponding evolution of the mass function. Much of our focus here is on understanding why the mass function of globular clusters has no more than a weak dependence on radius within their host galaxies.