Abstract:
Dwarf galaxies are remarkably rich in globular clusters (GCs), a property quantified by the specific frequency, which peaks in dwarf and giant elliptical galaxies but reaches a minimum in intermediate-mass systems. This study explores how GC evolution influences the specific frequency and transforms the initial GC mass function (GCIMF) into its present-day counterpart (GCMF). Using cosmological simulations and N-body models, we quantify GC disruption efficiency and examine the environmental factors driving this process. Our results show that GC mass loss scales with host galaxy mass and density, with low-mass dwarfs retaining a significant fraction of their initial GC mass after 12 Gyr. The evolution of the GCIMF is strongly environment-dependent, with only massive dwarf galaxies capable of reshaping a power-law GCIMF into the peaked GCMF observed today.
