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Abstract

We use a semi-analytic model for globular cluster (GC) formation built on dark matter merger trees to explore the relative role of formation physics and hierarchical assembly in determining the properties of GC populations. Many previous works have argued that the observed linear relation between total GC mass and halo mass points to a fundamental GC- dark matter connection or indicates that GCs formed at very high redshift before feedback processes introduced non-linearity in the baryon-to-dark matter mass relation. We demonstrate that at M_vir(z=0) ‚â≥ 10^{11.5} M_{‚òâ}, a constant ratio between halo mass and total GC mass is in fact an almost inevitable consequence of hierarchical assembly: by the central limit theorem, it is expected at z = 0 independent of the