PhD Project: Young, massive star clusters in the Milky Way

Argelander Institut für Astronomie, University of Bonn

 

 

Young, massive star clusters - or starburst clusters - are among the most extreme star forming environments in the Milky Way galaxy today. Due to the large distances to these objects their global properties are not well known. At the same time, these clusters serve as the test cases for a large variety of extragalactic star clusters observed in their integrated light throughout the universe. Star formation in Milky Way starbursts is therefore crucial for our understanding

of extragalactic systems.

 

With the advent of high-spatial resolution adaptive optics, membership studies in Milky Way starburst clusters have now become feasible. These studies allow us to disentangle the dense field population from genuine cluster members, and derive the dynamical and photometric properties of starburst clusters in an unbiased way. The major goal of the thesis project is the reconstruction of the dynamical state and of the stellar mass distribution in starburst clusters near the center of the Galaxy and in the spiral arm regions.

 

Scientific goals:

 

 

The project encompasses the analysis of spectroscopic and multi-epoch near infrared imaging data obtained with adaptive optics at large optical telescopes (e.g., VLT NACO, FORS, and SINFONI observations). Spectral types, luminosities and kinematic properties of individual cluster members will be determined, from which the dynamical state and the stellar mass distribution of starburst clusters will be derived. Special emphasis is placed on star clusters undergoing disruption in the strong gravitational field near the center of the Galaxy. Scientific aims include the in-depth understanding of the dynamical evolution of star clusters forming under extreme conditions and the search for tidal debris.

 

 

Specific analysis tools include:

 

     astrometric determination of proper motion membership