A perfect starburst cluster made in one go: the NGC 3603 young cluster

Abstract

Understanding how distinct, near-spherical gas-free clusters of very young, massive stars shape out of vast, complex clouds of molecular hydrogen is one of the biggest challenges in astrophysics. A popular thought dictates that a single gas cloud fragments into many new-born stars which, in turn, energize and rapidly expel the residual gas to form a gas-free cluster. This study demonstrates that the above classical paradigm remarkably reproduces the well-observed central, young cluster (HD 97950) of the Galactic NGC 3603 star-forming region, in particular, its shape, internal motion and the mass distribution of stars, naturally and consistently follow from a single model calculation. Remarkably, the same parameters (star formation efficiency, gas expulsion time scale and delay) reproduce HD 97950 as were found to reproduce the Orion Nebula Cluster, Pleiades and R136. The present results thereby provide intriguing evidences of formation of star clusters through single-starburst events followed by significant residual gas expulsion.

arXiv comment9 pages, 6 figures. In press with The Astrophysical Journal

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