![\begin{figure}
\par\includegraphics[width=8.4cm,clip]{5567fig1.ps}\end{figure}](/articles/aa/full/2006/32/aa5567-06/img58.gif) |
Figure 1:
The mass evolution of a cluster with an initial mass of
in the solar neighbourhood. The mass loss due to the four separate effects is indicated. Encounters with GMCs
are the dominant dissolution effect in the solar neighbourhood. |
| Open with DEXTER | |
In the text
![\begin{figure}
\par\includegraphics[width=7.9cm,clip]{5567fig2.ps}\end{figure}](/articles/aa/full/2006/32/aa5567-06/img59.gif) |
Figure 2:
The predicted dissolution times of clusters in the solar
neighbourhood due to the combined effects of stellar evolution,
tidal field, spiral arm
shocks and encounters with GMCs, as a function of the initial mass.
Full line: total dissolution time. Dashed line: time when the
remaining mass is 100  .
Squares and dotted line: dissolution time due to
stellar evolution and the Galactic tidal field only, predicted by BM03. Cross with error bar: the value of t4 empirically derived by L05. |
| Open with DEXTER | |
In the text
![\begin{figure}
\par\includegraphics[width=8.2cm,clip]{5567fig3.ps}\end{figure}](/articles/aa/full/2006/32/aa5567-06/img62.gif) |
Figure 3:
The observed age distribution of an unbiased sample
of clusters with
in the solar neighbourhood within 600 pc (Karchenko
et al. 2005; L05) in units of nr yr-1 is given by squares with the
Poisson error bars. The full line shows the predicted distribution
for a cluster sample with a maximum mass of
 
and a SFR of 4
 .
The dotted line is for
and the dashed line is for
. |
| Open with DEXTER | |
In the text