Mathematics – Logic
Scientific paper
Jul 2006
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2006hst..prop10894j&link_type=abstract
HST Proposal ID #10894. Cycle 15
Mathematics
Logic
Scientific paper
The formation of ``super star clusters" represents an extreme mode of star formation in the local universe. Star clusters with radii < 5pc and masses exceeding 10^4 solar masses are now known to be common in starbursts. These clusters are amazingly densely packed with massive stars, and can have a violent impact on their host galaxies and the surrounding IGM. The effects of massive star clusters perhaps were even more important in the earlier universe, when galaxy mergers and starbursts were common, and the formation of massive globular clusters was ubiquitous. However, our knowledge of the formation and early evolution of such massive clusters remains poorly understood, and observations have only begun to probe these stages. The near-IR fluxes and colors of natal clusters change dramatically in their early stages of evolution, providing important diagnostics. We will use NICMOS to explore the early evolution of massive star clusters through observations of a sample of nearby starburst galaxies containing the recently discovered ultra-young massive star clusters. First identified as compact optically-thick free-free radio sources, these natal clusters are still embedded in their birth material and obscured at optical wavelengths. Sensitive, high-resolution observations in the near-IR are critical for investigating the properties of these clusters as they evolve from being completely obscured by their natal clouds to fully emerged and optically visible. NICMOS F160W, F205W, F187N, and F190N roughly H, K, and Pa-alpha images will allow us to determine their ages, extinctions, ionizing fluxes, embedded stellar masses, and the morphological relationship between radio, mid-IR, and optically visible clusters. These results will ultimately provide insight into the earliest stages of super star cluster evolution and the properties of massive star formation throughout the universe.
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