A CHANDRA ACIS STUDY OF THE YOUNG STAR CLUSTER TRUMPLER 15 IN CARINA AND CORRELATION WITH NEAR-INFRARED SOURCES

Journal Article · Sun May 01 04:00:00 EDT 2011 · Astrophysical Journal, Supplement Series

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0067-0049/194/1/11· OSTI ID:21562677

Junfeng, Wang; Wolk, Scott J ^[1]; Feigelson, Eric D; Townsley, Leisa K; Broos, Patrick S; Getman, Konstantin V; Garmire, Gordon ^[2]; Preibisch, Thomas ^[3]; Stassun, Keivan G ^[4]; Moffat, Anthony F. J. ^[5]; King, Robert R; McCaughrean, Mark J ^[6]; Zinnecker, Hans ^[7]

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1. Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States)
2. Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Pennsylvania State University, 525 Davey Lab, University Park, PA 16802 (United States)
3. Universitaets-Sternwarte Muenchen, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet, Scheinerstr. 1, 81679 Muenchen (Germany)
4. Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235 (United States)
5. Departement de Physique, Universite de Montreal, Succursale Centre-Ville, Montreal, QC, H3C 3J7 (Canada)
6. Astrophysics Group, College of Engineering, Mathematics, and Physical Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QL (United Kingdom)
7. Astrophysikalisches Institut Potsdam, An der Sternwarte 16, 14482 Potsdam (Germany)

Using the highest-resolution X-ray observation of the Trumpler 15 star cluster taken by the Chandra X-ray Observatory, we estimate the total size of its stellar population by comparing the X-ray luminosity function (XLF) of the detected sources to a calibrator cluster and identify for the first time a significant fraction ({approx}14%) of its individual members. The highest-resolution near-IR observation of Trumpler 15 (taken by the HAWK-I instrument on the Very Large Telescope) was found to detect most of our X-ray selected sample of cluster members, with a K-excess disk frequency of 3.8% {+-} 0.7%. The near-IR data, XLF, and published spectral types of the brightest members support a cluster age estimate (5-10 Myr) that is older than those for the nearby Trumpler 14 and Trumpler 16 clusters, and suggest that high-mass members may have already exploded as supernovae. The morphology of the inner {approx}0.7 pc core of the cluster is found to be spherical. However, the outer regions (beyond {approx}2 pc) are elongated, forming an 'envelope' of stars that, in projection, appears to connect Trumpler 15 to Trumpler 14; this morphology supports the view that these clusters are physically associated. Clear evidence of mass segregation is seen. This study appears in this special issue devoted to the Chandra Carina Complex Project, a 1.42 deg{sup 2} Chandra X-ray survey of the Great Nebula in Carina.

• OSTI ID: 21562677
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Supplement Series, Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal, Supplement Series Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 194; ISSN 0067-0049; ISSN APJSA2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
BINARY STARS
CORRELATIONS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ERUPTIVE VARIABLE STARS
INFRARED RADIATION
IONIZING RADIATIONS
LUMINOSITY
NEBULAE
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RADIATIONS
STAR CLUSTERS
STARS
SUPERNOVAE
TELESCOPES
VARIABLE STARS
X RADIATION