SIMBAD references

We investigate the evolution of the radial distribution of blue straggler stars through a set of Monte Carlo simulations of star clusters under a variety of initial conditions. We used a novel technique based on the 'artificial oversampling' of the distribution function of the blue stragglers and control population to tear down the effect of statistical fluctuations affecting the determination of the relative distribution of these stellar populations. We find that a bimodal distribution, qualitatively similar but much less pronounced than those observed in many globular clusters, can naturally emerge as a result of the progressive migration of blue stragglers in the energy domain. The behaviour of the parameter A⁺, proposed as a 'dynamical age' indicator, has been also investigated. This parameter shows a relatively homogeneous and well-defined trend with the fraction of the elapsed core-collapse time-scale up to the core-collapse phase, while after this stage its evolution depends on initial conditions.