Properties of nuclear star clusters

Abstract

Over the last decade, HST imaging studies have revealed that the centers of most galaxies are occupied by massive, yet compact, stellar clusters. These 'nuclear star clusters' (NSCs) are found in a wide range of Hubble types, suggesting that their formation is intricately linked to galaxy evolution. In this review, I briefly summarize what has been learned about NSCs, mention some ideas for their formation, and touch on more speculative links between NSCs, super-massive black holes, and globular custers.