Massive Star Cluster Formation and Destruction in Luminous Infrared
  Galaxies in GOALS
  We present the results of a {\it Hubble Space Telescope} ACS/HRC FUV, ACS/WFC
optical study into the cluster populations of a sample of 22 Luminous Infrared
Galaxies in the Great Observatories All-Sky LIRG Survey. Through integrated
broadband photometry we have derived ages and masses for a total of 484 star
clusters contained within these systems. This allows us to examine the
properties of star clusters found in the extreme environments of LIRGs relative
to lower luminosity star-forming galaxies in the local Universe. We find that
by adopting a Bruzual \& Charlot simple stellar population (SSP) model and
Salpeter initial mass function, the age distribution of clusters declines as
$dN/d\tau = \tau^{-0.9 +/- 0.3}$, consistent with the age distribution derived
for the Antennae Galaxies, and interpreted as evidence for rapid cluster
disruption occuring in the strong tidal fields of merging galaxies. The large
number of $10^{6} M_{\odot}$ young clusters identified in the sample also
suggests that LIRGs are capable of producing more high-mass clusters than what
is observed to date in any lower luminosity star-forming galaxy in the local
Universe. The observed cluster mass distribution of $dN/dM = M^{-1.95 +/-
0.11}$ is consistent with the canonical -2 power law used to describe the
underlying initial cluster mass function (ICMF) for a wide range of galactic
environments. We interpret this as evidence against mass-dependent cluster
disruption, which would flatten the observed CMF relative to the underlying
ICMF distribution.
