Revealing the Properties of Embedded Clusters Beyond the Milky Way

Author(s)

Krista Romita, Elizabeth Lada, Maria-Rosa Cioni, Joao Alves

Abstract

We propose to use GeMs/GSAOI on Gemini South to obtain high- resolution

near-infrared images of 6 embedded clusters in the LMC. We have obtained

H+K band IFU spectra of two of these clusters using SINFONI.

High-resolution images are critical for the analysis and interpretation

of our SINFONI data. The GeMs/GSAOI images will allow us to determine

which sources are dominating the spectrum in each spaxel so we can see

what is really inside each of the SINFONI spectra. The combination of

SINFONI and GeMs/GSAOI data opens up a new parameter space, in that we

will obtain spectroscopy and high-resolution imaging of embedded

clusters for the first time, and characterize their properties with a

level of detail that is comparable to Milky Way embedded clusters. This

investigation will provide crucial data to tackle fundamental issues,

including understanding the embedded stellar cluster mass function in

the LMC, the rate and efficiency of star formation in LMC GMCs and the

sensitivity of these properties to global environmental factors such as

metallicity.

Organisation(s)

Department of Astrophysics

External organisation(s)

University of North Florida, Leibniz-Institut für Astrophysik Potsdam

Journal

NOAO Proposal

Pages

351

Publication date

08-2013

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

103003 Astronomy

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