Toward a More Complex Understanding of Natal Super Star Clusters with Multiwavelength Observations

• Published in: The Astrophysical journal Vol. 918; no. 2; pp. 76 - 92
• Main Authors: Costa, Allison H., Johnson, Kelsey E., Indebetouw, Remy, Finn, Molly K., Brogan, Crystal L., Reines, Amy
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia The American Astronomical Society 01-09-2021; IOP Publishing
• Subjects: Active galactic nuclei; Angular resolution; Astrophysics; Blue compact dwarf galaxies; Compact galaxies; Dust emission; Dwarf galaxies; Galactic evolution; Galaxies; Globular clusters; H ɪɪ regions; Interstellar medium; Luminosity; Massive stars; Molecular clouds; Spatial resolution; Star & galaxy formation; Star clusters; Star formation; Star formation rate; Stars; Stars & galaxies; Stellar evolution
• ISSN: 0004-637X; 1538-4357
• DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/ac0e93

Henize 2–10 (He 2–10) is a nearby (
D
= 9 Mpc) starbursting blue compact dwarf galaxy that boasts a high star formation rate and a low-luminosity active galactic nucleus. He 2–10 is also one of the first galaxies in which embedded super star clusters (SSCs) were discovered. SSCs are massive, compact star clusters that will impact their host galaxies dramatically when their massive stars evolve. Here, we discuss radio, submillimeter, and infrared observations of He 2–10 from 1.87
μ
m to 6 cm in high angular resolution (∼0.3″), which allows us to disentangle individual clusters from aggregate complexes as identified at lower resolution. These results indicate the importance of spatial resolution to characterize SSCs, as low resolution studies of SSCs average over aggregate complexes that may host SSCs at different stages of evolution. We explore the thermal, nonthermal, and dust emission associated with the clusters along with dense molecular tracers to construct a holistic review of the natal SSCs that have yet to dramatically disrupt their parent molecular clouds. We assess the production rate of ionizing photons, extinction, total mass, and the star formation efficiency (SFE) associated with the clusters. Notably, we find that the SFE for the some of the natal clusters is high (>70%), which suggests that these clusters could remain bound even after the gas is dispersed from the system from stellar feedback mechanisms. If they remain bound, these SSCs could survive to become objects indistinguishable from globular clusters.