Globular cluster formation in the context of galaxy formation and
  evolution
  The formation of globular clusters (GCs) remains one of the main unsolved
problems in star and galaxy formation. The past decades have seen important
progress in constraining the physics of GC formation from a variety of
directions. In this review, we discuss the latest constraints obtained from
studies of present-day GC populations, the formation of young massive clusters
(YMCs) in the local Universe, and the observed, large-scale conditions for star
and cluster formation in high-redshift galaxies. The main conclusion is that
the formation of massive, GC progenitor clusters is restricted to high-pressure
environments similar to those observed at high redshift and at the sites of YMC
formation in the local Universe. However, the correspondingly high gas
densities also lead to efficient cluster disruption by impulsive tidal shocks,
which limits the survival of GCs progenitor clusters. As a result, the
long-term survival of GC progenitor clusters requires them to migrate into the
host galaxy halo on a short time-scale. It is proposed that the necessary
cluster migration is facilitated by the frequent galaxy mergers occurring at
high redshift. We use the available observational and theoretical constraints
to condense the current state of the field into a coherent picture of GC
formation, in which regular star and cluster formation in high-redshift
galaxies naturally leads to the GC populations observed today.
