The Formation, Evolution, Destruction, and Gravitational-wave production of Star Clusters in a Milky Way-mass Galaxy

The formation of binary black holes is an urgent issue in gravitational-wave astrophysics.  One particular scenario--dynamical formation in dense star clusters--has emerged as a leading candidate to explain many of LIGO/Virgo/KAGRA's detections,  because of its robust predictions and limited number of uncertainties.  But where do these dense clusters come from, and how is their evolution related to that of the galaxies that host them?  I will describe a project combining cluster formation in a cosmological context with detailed N-body models of star clusters.  Starting from collapsing giant molecular clouds in a Milky Way-mass galaxy simulation and informed by high-resolution models of cloud collapse and cluster formation, we create a catalog of young star clusters with masses, metallicities, ages, radii, concentrations, and tidal fields taken directly from the host galaxy.  These clusters are then integrated forward to z=0 with our Cluster Monte Carlo Code, allowing us to model an entire system of star clusters in a Milky Way-mass galaxy.  I will describe the binary black hole population formed by clusters and isolated binaries in this galaxy, and show how both populations and their observable properties are deeply linked to the evolutionary history of their host galaxy.