An HST/NICMOS view of the prototypical giant HII region NGC604 in M33

Abstract

We present the first high-spatial resolution near-infrared (NIR) imaging of NGC 604, obtained with the NICMOS camera aboard the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). These NICMOS broadband images reveal new NIR point sources, clusters, and diffuse structures. We found an excellent spatial correlation between the 8.4 GHz radio continuum and the 2.2mu-m nebular emission. Moreover, massive young stellar object candidates appear aligned with these radio peaks, reinforcing the idea that those areas are star-forming regions. Three different scaled OB associations are recognized in the NICMOS images. The brightest NIR sources in our images have properties that suggest that they are red supergiant stars, of which one of them was previously known. This preliminary analysis of the NICMOS images shows the complexity of the stellar content of the NGC 604 nebula.

Paper presented in the Workshop "Young massive star clusters: initial conditions and environments" (Granada, Spain - Sept 2007). Astrophysics & Space Science in press, 7 pages, 4 figures

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• The Nature and Nurture of Star Clusters
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• Unveiling the new generation of stars in NGC 604 with Gemini-NIRI
• Andromeda's tenuous veil: A likely Milky Way nebula projected toward M31