Robust associations of massive baryonic objects

In astronomy, a RAMBO or robust association of massive baryonic objects is a dark cluster made of brown dwarfs or white dwarfs.

Introduction

RAMBOs were proposed by Moore and Silk in 1995. They may have effective radii between 1 and 15 pc, with masses in the range 10-100,000 $M\_\{odot\}$ (solar masses).

Dynamics

The dynamics of these objects, if they do exist, must be quite different from that of standard star clusters. With a very narrow mass range (all brown dwarfs or white dwarfs), the evaporation rate of these RAMBOs should be very slow as predicted by the evolution of simulated mono-component cluster models (e.g. de la FuenteMarcos 1995). Theoretically, these very long-lived objects could exist in large numbers. The presence of a clustered thick disk-like component of dark matter in the Galaxy has been suggested by Sanchez-Salcedo (1997, 1999) and Kerins (1997).

References

* de la Fuente Marcos, R. 1995, Astronomy and Astrophysics, 301, 407-418 (ADS entry [http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1995A%26A...301..407D] )

* Kerins, E. J. 1997, Astronomy and Astrophysics, 322, 709-718 (ADS entry [http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1997A%26A...322..709K] )

* Moore, B., & Silk, J. 1995, Astrophysical Journal, 442, L5-L8 (ADS entry [http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1995ApJ...442L...5M] )

* Sánchez-Salcedo, F. J. 1997, Astrophysical Journal, 487, L61-L64 (ADS entry [http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1997ApJ...487L..61S] )

* Sánchez-Salcedo, F. J. 1999, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 303, 755-772 (ADS entry [http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1999MNRAS.303..755S] )

ee also

* Dark matter
* Brown dwarfs
* White dwarfs
* Microlensing