Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-mkpzs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T23:02:05.735Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Tracing star cluster formation in the interacting galaxy M51

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 January 2010

Narae Hwang
Affiliation:
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588, Japan email: [email protected] Department of Physics and Astronomy, Seoul National University, 599 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 151-747, Republic of Korea email: [email protected]
Myung Gyoon Lee
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Astronomy, Seoul National University, 599 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 151-747, Republic of Korea email: [email protected]
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

We present a study of star clusters in the interacting galaxy M51 using a star cluster catalog that includes about 3600 star clusters with mF555W < 23 mag, compiled by Hwang & Lee (2008). Combined with mF336W-band imaging data taken with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST)'s WFPC2 camera, we have derived the ages and masses of star clusters in M51 using theoretical population synthesis models. The cluster age distribution displays multiple peaks that correspond to the epochs of dynamical encounters predicted by theoretical model studies and the cluster-formation rate appears to increase around the same epochs.

Type
Contributed Papers
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2010

References

Bruzual, G. & Charlot, S. 2003 MNRAS, 344, 1000CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Durrell, P. R., Mihos, J. C., Feldmeier, J. J., Jacoby, G. H., & Ciardullo, R. 2002, ApJ, 582, 170CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Feldmeier, J. J., Ciardullo, R., & Jacoby, G. H. 1997, ApJ, 479, 231Google Scholar
Gieles, M., Larsen, S. S., Bastian, N., & Stein, I. T. 2006, A&A, 450, 129Google Scholar
Haas, M. R., Gieles, M., Scheepmaker, R. A., Larsen, S. S., & Lamers, H. J. G. L. M. 2008, A&A, 487, 937Google Scholar
Hwang, N. & Lee, M. G. 2006, ApJ (Letters), 638, L79Google Scholar
Hwang, N. & Lee, M. G. 2008, AJ, 135, 1567CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hwang, N. & Lee, M. G. 2009, ApJ, in press (arXiv:0912.0321)Google Scholar
Lee, M. G., Chandar, R., & Whitmore, B. W. 2005, AJ, 130, 2128Google Scholar
Salo, H. & Laurikainen, E. 2000, MNRAS, 319, 377Google Scholar
Scheepmaker, R. A., Haas, M. R., Gieles, M., Bastian, N., Larsen, S. S., & Lamers, H. J. G. L. M. 2007, A&A, 469, 925Google Scholar
Scheepmaker, R. A., Lamers, H. J. G. L. M., Lamers, Anders, P., & Larsen, S. S. 2009, A&A, 494, 81Google Scholar
Toomre, R. P. J. & Toomre, J. 1972, ApJ, 178, 623CrossRefGoogle Scholar