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The MODEST questions: challenges and future directions in stellar cluster research

Melvyn B. Davies·Pau Amaro-Seoane·Cees Bassa·Jim Dale·Francesca De Angeli·Marc Freitag·Pavel Kroupa·Dougal Mackey·M. Coleman Miller·Simon Portegies Zwart
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Abstract

We present a review of some of the current major challenges in stellar cluster research, including young clusters, globular clusters, and galactic nuclei. Topics considered include: primordial mass segregation and runaway mergers, expulsion of gas from clusters, the production of stellar exotica seen in some clusters (eg blue stragglers and extreme horizontal--branch stars), binary populations within clusters, the black--hole population within stellar clusters, the final parsec problem, stellar dynamics around a massive black hole, and stellar collisions. The Modest Questions posed here are the outcome of discussions which took place at the Modest-6A workshop held in Lund, Sweden, in December, 2005. Modest-6A was organised as part of the activities of the Modest Collaboration (see www.manybody.org for further details)

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Melvyn B. Davies, Pau Amaro-Seoane, Cees Bassa, Jim Dale, Francesca De Angeli, Marc Freitag, Pavel Kroupa, Dougal Mackey, M. Coleman Miller, Simon Portegies Zwart. 2006-08-30. The MODEST questions: challenges and future directions in stellar cluster research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.newast.2006.09.004

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