ON THE ORIGIN OF THE RED EXCESS IN VERY YOUNG SUPER STAR CLUSTERS: THE CASE OF SBS 0335-052E
- Department of Astronomy, Stockholm University, Oscar Klein Center, AlbaNova, Stockholm SE-106 91 (Sweden)
- Observatoire Astronomique de l'Universite de Geneve, 51, ch des Maillettes, CH-1290 Sauverny (Switzerland)
The spectral energy distribution analysis of very young unresolved star clusters challenges our understanding of the cluster formation process. Studies of resolved massive clusters in the Milky Way and in the nearby Magellanic Clouds show us that the contribution from photoionized gas is very important during the first Myr of cluster evolution. We present our models which include both a self-consistent treatment of the photoionized gas and the stellar continuum and quantify the impact of such a nebular component on the total flux of young unresolved star clusters. A comparison with other available models is considered. The very young star clusters in the SBS 0335-052E dwarf starburst galaxy are used as a test for our models. Due to the low metallicity of the galactic medium our models predict a longer lasted nebular phase which contributes between 10% and 40% of the total near-infrared (NIR) fluxes at around 10 Myr. We thus propose a possible solution for the observed flux excess in the six bright super star clusters (SSCs) of SBS 0335-052E. Reines et al. showed that the observed cluster fluxes, in the red-optical and NIR range, sit irreconcilably above the stellar continuum models provided. We find that in the age range estimated from the H{alpha} emission we can explain the red excess in all six SSCs as due to nebular emission, which at cluster ages around 10 Myr still affects the NIR wavebands substantially.
- OSTI ID:
- 21476699
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 725, Issue 2; Other Information: DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/725/2/1620; ISSN 0004-637X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
THE IMPORTANCE OF NEBULAR CONTINUUM AND LINE EMISSION IN OBSERVATIONS OF YOUNG MASSIVE STAR CLUSTERS
PROBING STAR FORMATION AT LOW METALLICITY: THE RADIO EMISSION OF SUPER STAR CLUSTERS IN SBS 0335-052