The formation of young massive clusters by colliding flows

Abstract

Young massive clusters (YMCs) are the most intense regions of star formation in galaxies. Formulating a model for YMC formation whilst at the same time meeting the constraints from observations is highly challenging however. We show that forming YMCs requires clouds with densities $\gtrsim$ 100 cm${}^{-3}$ to collide with high velocities ($\gtrsim$ 20 km s${}^{-1}$). We present the first simulations which, starting from moderate cloud densities of $\sim 100$ cm${}^{-3}$, are able to convert a large amount of mass into stars over a time period of around 1 Myr, to produce dense massive clusters similar to those observed. Such conditions are commonplace in more extreme environments, where YMCs are common, but atypical for our Galaxy, where YMCs are rare.

arXiv comment6 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS Letters

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