Exploring Quasi-Star Formation and Evolution through Collisions in Globular Clusters

Quasi-stars, or massive gas envelopes with an accreting black hole at their center, are a potential formation channel for supermassive black holes at high redshift. Recent theoretical work (Coughlin & Begelman 2024) suggests that quasi-stars can sustain black hole growth to ~60% of the total quasi-star mass which greatly exceeds the earlier limit of ~1%. Motivated by these findings, we investigate whether dynamical collisions in dense stellar environments could produce quasi-star candidates. Using simulation data for 145 Milky Way–like globular clusters, we identify potential quasi-star forming collisions based on the mass ratio and stellar objects. Using the initial conditions from these collisions, we explore the evolution of the stellar structure, accretion rate, and the lifetime of these objects.