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Title:
Super Star Cluster Velocity Dispersions and Virial Masses in the M82 Nuclear Starburst
Authors:
McCrady, Nate; Graham, James R.
Affiliation:
AA(Department of Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3411; Current address: Department of Physics and Astronomy, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1547 .), AB(Department of Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3411)
Publication:
The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 663, Issue 2, pp. 844-856. (ApJ Homepage)
Publication Date:
07/2007
Origin:
UCP
ApJ Keywords:
Galaxies: Individual: Messier Number: M82, Galaxies: Starburst, Galaxies: Star Clusters, Infrared: Galaxies
DOI:
10.1086/518357
Bibliographic Code:
2007ApJ...663..844M

Abstract

We use high-resolution near-infrared spectroscopy from Keck Observatory to measure the stellar velocity dispersions of 19 super star clusters (SSCs) in the nuclear starburst of M82. The clusters have ages on the order of 10 Myr, which is many times longer than the crossing times implied by their velocity dispersions and radii. We therefore apply the virial theorem to derive the kinematic mass for 15 of the SSCs. The SSCs have masses of 2×105 to 4×106 Msolar, with a total population mass of 1.4×107 Msolar. Comparison of the loci of the young M82 SSCs and old Milky Way globular clusters in a plot of radius versus velocity dispersion suggests that the SSCs are a population of potential globular clusters. We present the mass function for the SSCs and find a power-law fit with an index of γ=-1.91+/-0.06. This result is nearly identical to the mass function of young SSCs in the Antennae galaxies.

Based on observations made at the W. M. Keck Observatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Observatory was made possible by the generous financial support of the W. M. Keck Foundation.

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