Monte Carlo simulations of star clusters - II. Tidally limited, multi-mass systems with stellar evolution

Abstract

A revision of Stod\{'o}łkiewicz's Monte Carlo code is used to simulate evolution of large star clusters. A survey of the evolution of N-body systems influenced by the tidal field of a parent galaxy and by stellar evolution is presented. The results presented are in good agreement with theoretical expectations and the results of other methods (Fokker-Planck, Monte Carlo and N-body). The initial rapid mass loss, due to stellar evolution of the most massive stars, causes expansion of the whole cluster and eventually leads to the disruption of less bound systems ($W_0=3$). Models with larger $W_0$ survive this phase of evolution and then undergo core collapse and subsequent post-collapse expansion, like isolated models. The expansion phase is eventually reversed when tidal limitation becomes important. The results presented are the first major step in the direction of simulating evolution of real globular clusters by means of the Monte Carlo method.