The MODEST questions: challenges and future directions in stellar cluster research

摘要

We present a review of some of the current major challenges in stellarcluster research, including young clusters, globular clusters, and galacticnuclei. Topics considered include: primordial mass segregation and runawaymergers, expulsion of gas from clusters, the production of stellar exotica seenin some clusters (eg blue stragglers and extreme horizontal--branch stars),binary populations within clusters, the black--hole population within stellarclusters, the final parsec problem, stellar dynamics around a massive blackhole, and stellar collisions. The Modest Questions posed here are the outcomeof discussions which took place at the Modest-6A workshop held in Lund, Sweden,in December, 2005. Modest-6A was organised as part of the activities of theModest Collaboration (see www.manybody.org for further details)