Computer Science
Scientific paper
Jan 2001
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2001iaus..205..206m&link_type=abstract
Galaxies and their Constituents at the Highest Angular Resolutions, Proceedings of IAU Symposium #205, held 15-18 August 2000 at
Computer Science
Scientific paper
We performed near infrared integral field spectroscopy at 1" resolution on several star clusters and the nuclei of the prototypical merger NGC 4038/4039 ("The Antennae"). Additional broad- and narrowband near infrared imaging covered both galaxies, excluding the tails. The collision of the two gas-rich spiral galaxies has triggered a starburst obvious from a large number of young star clusters. ISO data suggest that the most active star formation occurs in the heavily extincted overlap region, where a large fraction of the bolometric luminosity of the system is produced. Using the Brγ emission arising from the presence of young hot stars and CO absorption features tracing the red giants and supergiants as age indicators, we derived the ages and mass estimates of the star clusters from a comparison with stellar synthesis models. An extinction map was created from the Brγ/Hα ratio and included in the analysis, especially of the broadband colours. The young, bright star clusters have ages ranging from 3.7-12 Myrs. As the age map shows, the ones in the overlap region are very young (below 8 Myrs), those in the nothwestern loop above that limit, and some masses, estimated from absolute luminosities, lie above 106Modot. The nuclear starbursts are much older (50-80 Myrs). Several regions, including the northern nucleus, show evidence for sequential star formation on small spatial scales.
Genzel Reinhard
Lehnert Matt
Mengel Sabine
Thatte Naranjan
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