Dynamical equivalence, the origin of the Galactic field stellar and binary population, and the initial radius–mass relation of embedded clusters

Abstract

Abstract In order to allow a better understanding of the origin of Galactic field populations, dynamical equivalence of stellar-dynamical systems has been postulated by Kroupa and Belloni et al. to allow mapping of solutions of the initial conditions of embedded clusters such that they yield, after a period of dynamical processing, the Galactic field population. Dynamically equivalent systems are defined to initially and finally have the same distribution functions of periods, mass ratios and eccentricities of binary stars. Here, we search for dynamically equivalent clusters using the mocca code. The simulations confirm that dynamically equivalent solutions indeed exist. The result is that the solution space is next to identical to the radius–mass relation of Marks & Kroupa, $\left( r_{\rm h}/{\rm pc} \right)= 0.1^{+0.07}_{-0.04}{\, } \left( M_{\rm ecl}/{\rm M}_{\odot } \right)^{0.13\pm 0.04}$. This relation is in good agreement with the observed density of molecular cloud clumps. According to the solutions, the time-scale to reach dynamical equivalence is about 0.5 Myr which is, interestingly, consistent with the lifetime of ultra-compact H ii regions and the time-scale needed for gas expulsion to be active in observed very young clusters as based on their dynamical modelling.