A binary origin for 'blue stragglers' in globular clusters (original) (raw)

A binary origin for 'blue stragglers' is investigated by examining their formation mechanisms within the cores of globular clusters. The results suggest a strong correlation between core blue straggler numbers and the total stellar mass in the core, which supports a binary formation scenario, rather than collisions between single stars. The study utilizes data from HST-based color-magnitude diagrams and finds that core mass is a more reliable predictor for blue straggler populations than collision rates.