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Title: NEAR-INFRARED ADAPTIVE OPTICS IMAGING OF INFRARED LUMINOUS GALAXIES: THE BRIGHTEST CLUSTER MAGNITUDE-STAR FORMATION RATE RELATION

Abstract

We have established a relation between the brightest super star cluster (SSC) magnitude in a galaxy and the host star formation rate (SFR) for the first time in the near-infrared (NIR). The data come from a statistical sample of ∼40 luminous IR galaxies (LIRGs) and starbursts utilizing K-band adaptive optics imaging. While expanding the observed relation to longer wavelengths, less affected by extinction effects, it also pushes to higher SFRs. The relation we find, M{sub K} ∼ –2.6log SFR, is similar to that derived previously in the optical and at lower SFRs. It does not, however, fit the optical relation with a single optical to NIR color conversion, suggesting systematic extinction and/or age effects. While the relation is broadly consistent with a size-of-sample explanation, we argue physical reasons for the relation are likely as well. In particular, the scatter in the relation is smaller than expected from pure random sampling strongly suggesting physical constraints. We also derive a quantifiable relation tying together cluster-internal effects and host SFR properties to possibly explain the observed brightest SSC magnitude versus SFR dependency.

Authors:
;  [1];  [2]; ; ;  [3]
  1. South African Astronomical Observatory, P.O. Box 9, 7935 Observatory, Cape Town (South Africa)
  2. Departamento de Astronomía, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 36-D, Santiago (Chile)
  3. Finnish Centre for Astronomy with ESO (FINCA), University of Turku, Väisäläntie 20, FI-21500 Piikkiö (Finland)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22215448
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Astrophysical Journal Letters
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 775; Journal Issue: 2; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 2041-8205
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; CONVERSION; GALAXIES; LIMITING VALUES; RANDOMNESS; STAR CLUSTERS; STARS; WAVELENGTHS

Citation Formats

Randriamanakoto, Z., Väisänen, P., Escala, A., Kankare, E., Kotilainen, J., Mattila, S., and Ryder, S., E-mail: zara@saao.ac.za. NEAR-INFRARED ADAPTIVE OPTICS IMAGING OF INFRARED LUMINOUS GALAXIES: THE BRIGHTEST CLUSTER MAGNITUDE-STAR FORMATION RATE RELATION. United States: N. p., 2013. Web. doi:10.1088/2041-8205/775/2/L38.
Randriamanakoto, Z., Väisänen, P., Escala, A., Kankare, E., Kotilainen, J., Mattila, S., & Ryder, S., E-mail: zara@saao.ac.za. NEAR-INFRARED ADAPTIVE OPTICS IMAGING OF INFRARED LUMINOUS GALAXIES: THE BRIGHTEST CLUSTER MAGNITUDE-STAR FORMATION RATE RELATION. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/775/2/L38
Randriamanakoto, Z., Väisänen, P., Escala, A., Kankare, E., Kotilainen, J., Mattila, S., and Ryder, S., E-mail: zara@saao.ac.za. 2013. "NEAR-INFRARED ADAPTIVE OPTICS IMAGING OF INFRARED LUMINOUS GALAXIES: THE BRIGHTEST CLUSTER MAGNITUDE-STAR FORMATION RATE RELATION". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/775/2/L38.
@article{osti_22215448,
title = {NEAR-INFRARED ADAPTIVE OPTICS IMAGING OF INFRARED LUMINOUS GALAXIES: THE BRIGHTEST CLUSTER MAGNITUDE-STAR FORMATION RATE RELATION},
author = {Randriamanakoto, Z. and Väisänen, P. and Escala, A. and Kankare, E. and Kotilainen, J. and Mattila, S. and Ryder, S., E-mail: zara@saao.ac.za},
abstractNote = {We have established a relation between the brightest super star cluster (SSC) magnitude in a galaxy and the host star formation rate (SFR) for the first time in the near-infrared (NIR). The data come from a statistical sample of ∼40 luminous IR galaxies (LIRGs) and starbursts utilizing K-band adaptive optics imaging. While expanding the observed relation to longer wavelengths, less affected by extinction effects, it also pushes to higher SFRs. The relation we find, M{sub K} ∼ –2.6log SFR, is similar to that derived previously in the optical and at lower SFRs. It does not, however, fit the optical relation with a single optical to NIR color conversion, suggesting systematic extinction and/or age effects. While the relation is broadly consistent with a size-of-sample explanation, we argue physical reasons for the relation are likely as well. In particular, the scatter in the relation is smaller than expected from pure random sampling strongly suggesting physical constraints. We also derive a quantifiable relation tying together cluster-internal effects and host SFR properties to possibly explain the observed brightest SSC magnitude versus SFR dependency.},
doi = {10.1088/2041-8205/775/2/L38},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22215448}, journal = {Astrophysical Journal Letters},
issn = {2041-8205},
number = 2,
volume = 775,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 2013},
month = {Tue Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 2013}
}