Multimass modelling of milky way globular clusters and implications on their dark remnant content and stellar initial mass function

Abstract

The distribution of stars and stellar remnants within globular clusters holds clues about their formation and long-term evolution. In this work, we infer best-fitting multimass models for a number of Milky Way globular clusters, which are compared to various datasets. These models allow us to explore in detail the stellar (initial) mass functions and remnant populations of a large sample of Milky Way GCs. Examination of the low-mass mass function of the clusters suggests an IMF which is considerably flatter and depleted in low mass stars than canonical IMFs, while the high-mass IMF is consistent with a Salpeter IMF. New constraints on the number and mass in black holes for each cluster are inferred from our models, and comparisons to various studies predicting the black hole population in GCs are performed, finding generally good agreement, and in most cases no need for large populations of BHs to explain the data.