Hundreds of new cluster candidates in the VISTA Variables in the Vía Láctea survey DR1
Hundreds of new cluster candidates in the VISTA Variables in the Vía Láctea survey DR1
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DOI：
10.1051/0004-6361/201424048
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发表时间：
2015-05
影响因子：
6.5
通讯作者：
R. H. Barbá;A. Roman-Lopes;J. L. N. Castellón;V. Firpo;D. Minniti;P. Lucas;Jim Emerson;M. Hemp
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
R. H. Barbá;A. Roman-Lopes;J. L. N. Castellón;V. Firpo;D. Minniti;P. Lucas;Jim Emerson;M. Hemp
Via Lactea中的VISTA变量是ESO的一项公共调查，致力于使用VISTA望远镜和近红外相机VIRCAM扫描第四象限中的凸起和银河系圆盘的相邻部分。VVV调查的主要目标之一是有助于了解银河系的星星集群人口。为了改进银河系星星团的普查，我们对银河系VVV调查平面部分的JHK图像进行了系统扫描。我们的检测过程是基于表面密度图和目视检查的NIR图像中有前途的功能相结合。所检查的材料是对应于VVV的DR 1的彩色合成图像。我们报告发现了493个新的星星星团候选者。空间分布的分析表明，星团在银道面内非常集中，在大的恒星形成复合体（如G305、RCW 95和RCW 106）周围出现局部极大值。绝大多数的候选星团都相当紧凑，通常被明亮和/或黑暗的星云包围。IRAS点源与59%的样本相关，而88%与MSX点源相关。GLIMPSE 8妈妈图像的集群候选人显示了各种形态，与292集群为主的棘手的来源，而361集群显示某种星云。与年轻恒星天体、脉泽和扩展的绿色天体目录的空间互相关表明，新的候选星团中有很大一部分是非常年轻的。特别是，与甲醇脉泽相关的104个星星团是正在进行的大质量星星形成的绝佳候选者。此外，还有一组特殊的16个星团候选者，它们呈现出恒星形成活动的清晰标志，并与之相关的有着巨大的暗星云、年轻恒星天体、EGO和脉泽。
VISTA variables in the Via Lactea is an ESO Public survey dedicated to scan the bulge and an adjacent portion of the Galactic disk in the fourth quadrant using the VISTA telescope and the near-infrared camera VIRCAM. One of the leading goals of the VVV survey is to contribute to the knowledge of the star cluster population of the Milky Way. To improve the census of the Galactic star clusters, we performed a systematic scan of the JHKs images of the Galactic plane section of the VVV survey. Our detection procedure is based on a combination of superficial density maps and visual inspection of promising features in the NIR images. The material examined are color-composite images corresponding to the DR1 of VVV. We report the discovery of 493 new star cluster candidates. The analysis of the spatial distribution show that the clusters are very concentrated in he Galactic plane, presenting some local maxima around the position of large star-forming complexes, such as G305, RCW 95, and RCW 106. The vast majority of the cluster candidates are quite compact and generally surrounded by bright and/or dark nebulosities. IRAS point sources are associated with 59% of the sample, while 88% are associated with MSX point sources. GLIMPSE 8 mum images of the cluster candidates show a variety of morphologies, with 292 clusters dominated by knotty sources, while 361 clusters show some kind of nebulosity. Spatial cross-correlation with young stellar objects, masers, and extended green-object catalogs suggest that a large sample of the new cluster candidates are extremely young. In particular, 104 star clusters associated to methanol masers are excellent candidates for ongoing massive star formation. Also, there is a special set of sixteen cluster candidates that present clear signspot of star-forming activity having associated simultaneosly dark nebulae, young stellar objects, EGOs, and masers.