PHANGS-JWST First Results: Dust-embedded Star Clusters in NGC 7496 Selected via 3.3 μm PAH Emission

• Autores: Rodriguez, Maria Jimena; Lee, Janice C.; Whitmore, B. C.; Thilker, David A.; Maschmann, Daniel; Chandar, Rupali; Deger, Sinan; Boquien, Médéric; Dale, Daniel A.; Larson, Kirsten L.; Williams, Thomas G.; Kim, Hwihyun; Schinnerer, Eva; Rosolowsky, Erik; Leroy, Adam K.; Emsellem, Eric; Sandstrom, Karin M.; Grasha, Kathryn; Watkins, Elizabeth J.; Barnes, Ashley. T.; Sormani, Mattia C.; Kim, Jaeyeon; Anand, Gagandeep S.; Chevance, Mélanie; Bigiel, F.; Klessen, Ralf S.; Hassani, Hamid; Liu, Daizhong; Cao, Yixian; Pessa, Ismael; Kreckel, Kathryn; Egorov, Oleg V.
• Año de publicación: 2023
• Idioma: inglés
• Tipo de recurso: artículo
• Materia: STAR FORMATION; STAR CLUSTERS; YOUNG STAR CLUSTERS; SPIRAL GALAXIES
• Institución: Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas

The earliest stages of star formation occur enshrouded in dust and are not observable in the optical. Here we leverage the extraordinary new high-resolution infrared imaging from JWST to begin the study of dust-embedded star clusters in nearby galaxies throughout the Local Volume. We present a technique for identifying dust-embedded clusters in NGC 7496 (18.7 Mpc), the first galaxy to be observed by the PHANGS-JWST Cycle 1 Treasury Survey. We select sources that have strong 3.3 μm PAH emission based on a F300M − F335M color excess and identify 67 candidate embedded clusters. Only eight of these are found in the PHANGS-HST optically selected cluster catalog, and all are young (six have SED fit ages of ∼1 Myr). We find that this sample of embedded cluster candidates may significantly increase the census of young clusters in NGC 7496 from the PHANGS-HST catalog; the number of clusters younger than ∼2 Myr could be increased by a factor of 2. Candidates are preferentially located in dust lanes and are coincident with the peaks in the PHANGS-ALMA CO (2-1) maps. We take a first look at concentration indices, luminosity functions, SEDs spanning from 2700 Å to 21 μm, and stellar masses (estimated to be between ∼104 and 105 M ⊙). The methods tested here provide a basis for future work to derive accurate constraints on the physical properties of embedded clusters, characterize the completeness of cluster samples, and expand analysis to all 19 galaxies in the PHANGS-JWST sample, which will enable basic unsolved problems in star formation and cluster evolution to be addressed.
Fil: Rodriguez, Maria Jimena. University of Arizona; Estados Unidos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Astrofísica La Plata. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas. Instituto de Astrofísica La Plata; Argentina
Fil: Lee, Janice C.. University of Arizona; Estados Unidos
Fil: Whitmore, B. C.. Space Telescope Science Institute; Estados Unidos
Fil: Thilker, David A.. University Johns Hopkins; Estados Unidos
Fil: Maschmann, Daniel. University of Arizona; Estados Unidos. Université Pierre et Marie Curie; Francia
Fil: Chandar, Rupali. The University of Toledo; Estados Unidos
Fil: Deger, Sinan. Stockholm University; Suecia
Fil: Boquien, Médéric. Universidad de Antofagasta; Chile
Fil: Dale, Daniel A.. University of Wyoming; Estados Unidos
Fil: Larson, Kirsten L.. Space Telescope Science Institute; Estados Unidos
Fil: Williams, Thomas G.. University of Oxford; Reino Unido
Fil: Kim, Hwihyun. Gemini Observatory; Estados Unidos
Fil: Schinnerer, Eva. Max Planck Institute For Astronomy; Alemania
Fil: Rosolowsky, Erik. University of Alberta; Canadá
Fil: Leroy, Adam K.. Ohio State University; Estados Unidos
Fil: Emsellem, Eric. European Southern Observatory; Alemania
Fil: Sandstrom, Karin M.. Centre de Recherche Astrophysique de Lyon; Francia
Fil: Grasha, Kathryn. Australian National University; Australia
Fil: Watkins, Elizabeth J.. Astronomisches Rechen-institut; Alemania
Fil: Barnes, Ashley. T.. Universitat Bonn; Alemania
Fil: Sormani, Mattia C.. Universität Heidelberg; Alemania
Fil: Kim, Jaeyeon. Universität Heidelberg; Alemania
Fil: Anand, Gagandeep S.. Space Telescope Science Institute; Estados Unidos
Fil: Chevance, Mélanie. Universität Heidelberg; Alemania
Fil: Bigiel, F.. Universitat Bonn; Alemania
Fil: Klessen, Ralf S.. Universität Heidelberg; Alemania
Fil: Hassani, Hamid. University of Alberta; Canadá
Fil: Liu, Daizhong. Max Planck Institute For Extraterrestrial Physics; Alemania
Fil: Cao, Yixian. Max Planck Institute For Extraterrestrial Physics; Alemania
Fil: Pessa, Ismael. Max Planck Institute For Astronomy; Alemania
Fil: Kreckel, Kathryn. Astronomisches Rechen-institut; Alemania
Fil: Egorov, Oleg V.. Astronomisches Rechen-institut; Alemania