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The Early Stages of Extragalactic Star Cluster Evolution: New Results From Gemini

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 August 2017

Kelsey E. Johnson
Affiliation:
JILA, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
William D. Vacca
Affiliation:
Max-Planck-Institut fuer extraterrestrische Physik, Postfach 1312, D-85741, Garching, Germany
Peter S. Conti
Affiliation:
JILA, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
Henry A. Kobulnicky
Affiliation:
University of Wisconsin, 475 N Charter St., Madison, WI, 53706, USA

Abstract

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As part of an ongoing program to better understand the early stages of massive star cluster evolution and the physical conditions required for their formation, we have obtained 10 μm (N-band) images with Gemini North of the nuclear region of the starburst galaxy He 2-10. Five massive star clusters still enshrouded in their natal cocoons with no optical counterparts were previously discovered by Kobulnicky & Johnson (1999) as optically thick thermal radio sources. Three of these five radio sources have strong 10 μm detections in only 10 minutes of integration time with Gemini. The blackbody temperatures of the dust cocoons are estimated to range from ∼ 40 — 150 K at their outer and inner edges, and the mass of these dust shells is ∼ 107 M. The ages of the embedded stellar clusters must be < 106 years. The bolometric luminosities of the exciting clusters can be constrained to ∼ 108–9 L, and the implied masses are > 106 M. These three embedded clusters are responsible for at least 60% of the IRAS flux of the entire galaxy He 2-10.

Type
Part 3. Super Star Clusters and Associations
Copyright
Copyright © Astronomical Society of the Pacific 2002 

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