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 (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 Fuente Marcos 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 [1])
- Kerins, E. J. 1997, Astronomy and Astrophysics, 322, 709-718 (ADS entry [2])
- Moore, B., & Silk, J. 1995, Astrophysical Journal, 442, L5-L8 (ADS entry [3])
- Sánchez-Salcedo, F. J. 1997, Astrophysical Journal, 487, L61-L64 (ADS entry [4])
- Sánchez-Salcedo, F. J. 1999, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 303, 755-772 (ADS entry [5])