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The star-forming complex LMC-N79 as a future rival to 30 Doradus
- Source :
- Nature Astronomy. 1:784-790
- Publication Year :
- 2017
- Publisher :
- Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2017.
-
Abstract
- Within the early Universe, ‘extreme’ star formation may have been the norm rather than the exception 1,2 . Super star clusters (with masses greater than 105 solar masses) are thought to be the modern-day analogues of globular clusters, relics of a cosmic time (redshift z ≳ 2) when the Universe was filled with vigorously star-forming systems 3 . The giant H ii region 30 Doradus in the Large Magellanic Cloud is often regarded as a benchmark for studies of extreme star formation 4 . Here, we report the discovery of a massive embedded star-forming complex spanning about 500 pc in the unexplored southwest region of the Large Magellanic Cloud, which manifests itself as a younger, embedded twin of 30 Doradus. Previously known as N79, this region has a star-formation efficiency greater than that of 30 Doradus, by a factor of about 2, as measured over the past ~0.5 Myr. Moreover, at the heart of N79 lies the most luminous infrared compact source discovered with large-scale infrared surveys of the Large Magellanic Cloud and Milky Way, possibly a precursor to the central super star cluster of 30 Doradus, R136. The discovery of a nearby candidate super star cluster may provide invaluable information to understand how extreme star formation proceeds in the current and high-redshift Universe. The relatively unexplored southwestern region of the Large Magellanic Cloud is host to a massive, embedded star-forming complex that rivals the star-forming efficiency of 30 Doradus. Its most luminous object could be a super star cluster in formation.
- Subjects :
- Physics
Solar mass
010308 nuclear & particles physics
Star formation
Milky Way
media_common.quotation_subject
Astronomy
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics::Cosmology and Extragalactic Astrophysics
01 natural sciences
Redshift
Universe
Star cluster
Globular cluster
0103 physical sciences
Astrophysics::Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
Astrophysics::Earth and Planetary Astrophysics
Large Magellanic Cloud
010303 astronomy & astrophysics
Astrophysics::Galaxy Astrophysics
media_common
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 23973366
- Volume :
- 1
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Nature Astronomy
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi...........b8340552f391162730428f57727b4ec4