Abstract
Globular star clusters provide a unique laboratory. In astronomy they present an opportunity to study dense stellar systems that are more accessible than galactic nuclei. In statistical mechanics, concepts of negative heat capacity and resulting gravothermal instabilities challenge the present framework of statistical deceptions of dynamical systems. In computer science, modelling their evolution poses an extreme challenge to the hardware and software capabilities of the next generation of parallel computers, and provides an ideal test case for teraflop machines.
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Hut, P., Makino, J. & McMillan, S. Modelling the evolution of globular star clusters. Nature 336, 31–35 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1038/336031a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/336031a0
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