Bibcode
Westmoquette, M. S.; Bastian, N.; Smith, L. J.; Seth, A. C.; Gallagher, J. S., III; O'Connell, R. W.; Ryon, J. E.; Silich, S.; Mayya, Y. D.; Muñoz-Tuñón, C.; Rosa González, D.
Bibliographical reference
The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 789, Issue 2, article id. 94, 12 pp. (2014).
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2014
Journal
Citations
11
Refereed citations
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Description
We present HST/STIS optical and Gemini/NIFS near-IR IFU spectroscopy and
archival Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging of the triplet of super
star clusters (A1, A2, and A3) in the core of the M82 starburst. Using
model fits to the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) spectra
and the weakness of red supergiant CO absorption features (appearing at
~6 Myr) in the NIFS H-band spectra, the ages of A2 and A3 are 4.5
± 1.0 Myr. A1 has strong CO bands, consistent with our previously
determined age of 6.4 ± 0.5 Myr. The photometric masses of the
three clusters are 4-7 × 105 M ☉, and
their sizes are R eff = 159, 104, 59 mas (~2.8, 1.8, 1.0 pc)
for A1, A2, and A3. The STIS spectra yielded radial velocities of 320
± 2, 330 ± 6, and 336 ± 5 km s–1
for A1, A2, and A3, placing them at the eastern end of the x
2 orbits of M82's bar. Clusters A2 and A3 are in high-density
(800-1000 cm–3) environments, and like A1, are
surrounded by compact H II regions. We suggest the winds from A2 and A3
have stalled, as in A1, due to the high ISM ambient pressure. We propose
that the three clusters were formed in situ on the outer x 2
orbits in regions of dense molecular gas subsequently ionized by the
rapidly evolving starburst. The similar radial velocities of the three
clusters and their small projected separation of ~25 pc suggest that
they may merge in the near future unless this is prevented by velocity
shearing.
Based on observations with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope under
program 11641 and the Gemini-North telescope under program GN-2010B-Q-4.
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Casiana
Muñoz Tuñón