The state of globular clusters at birth: emergence from the gas-embedded phase

In this paper, we discuss the origin of the observed correlation between the cluster concentration c and present-day mass function slope α reported by De Marchi, Paresce & Pulone. This relation can either be reproduced from universal initial conditions combined with some dynamical mechanism(s) that alter(s) the cluster structure and mass function over time, or it must arise early on in the cluster lifetime, such as during the gas-embedded phase …