2005A&A...441..949G

In this work we concentrate on the evolution of the cluster population of the interacting galaxy M51 (NGC 5194), more precisely the timescale of cluster disruption and possible variations in the cluster formation rate. We present a method to compare observed age vs. mass number density diagrams with predicted populations including various physical input parameters like the cluster initial mass function, cluster disruption, cluster formation rate and star bursts. If we assume that the cluster formation rate increases at the moments of the encounters with NGC 5195, we find an increase in the cluster formation rate of a factor of 3.0^+4.6_–1.2, combined with a disruption timescale which is slightly higher than when assuming a constant formation rate (t₄=2.0^+2.3_–1.1x10⁸yr vs. 1.0^+0.6_–0.5x10⁸yr). The measured cluster disruption time is a factor of 5 shorter than expected on theoretical grounds. This implies that the disk of M51 is not a preferred location for survival of young globular clusters, since even clusters with masses on the order of 10⁶M_☉ will be destroyed within a few Gyr.