Poster abstract

Simulations of star clusters are usually divided into two separate regimes; the self-gravitating (magneto-)hydrodynamic evolution of the gas, and the N-body evolution of the young stars formed in the proto-cluster. While often modeled as two separate and distinct phases with separate codes, the transition between the two may be blurred in the context of triggered star formation and the delayed dispersion of the gas due to feedback. We present hybrid SPH/N-body simulations of cluster formation and evolution using the SEREN code. The ballistical motion of the stars is integrated with a high-order Hermite integrator, as used in many current N-body codes, whereas the background gas is modeled using a low-resolution SPH simulation with a lower-order integrator. The stars can interact with the gas by way of gravitational forces and mechanical and radiative feedback thereby taking advantage of the various algorithms already implemented into the SPH code. We discuss the assumptions made in implementing the hybrid code, and the consequences of following the transition from the gaseous phase to the final N-body phase fully and consistently on the final stellar and binary properties.