paper

How Universal are the Young Cluster Sequences? - the Cases of LMC, SMC, M83 and the Antennae

arXiv:0910.5059 · doi:10.1051/0004-6361/200912858

Abstract

Aims.Recently a new analysis of cluster observations in the Milky Way found evidence that clustered star formation may work under tight constraints with respect to cluster size and density, implying the presence of just two sequences of young massive cluster. These two types of clusters each expand at different rates with cluster age. Methods. Here we investigate whether similar sequences exist in other nearby galaxies. Results:We find that while for the extragalactic young stellar clusters the overall trend in the cluster-density scaling is quite comparable to the relation obtained for Galactic clusters, there are also possible difference. For the LMC and SMC clusters the densities are below the Galactic data points and/or the core radii are smaller than those of data points with comparable density. For M83 and the Antenna clusters the core radii are possibly comparable to the Galactic clusters but it is not clear whether they exhibit similar expansion speeds. These findings should serve as an incentive to perform more systematic observations and analysis to answer the question of a possible similarity between young galactic and extragalactic star clusters sequences.

6 pages, 4 figures, A&A in press

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