New Galactic star clusters discovered in the VVV survey

J. Borissova; C. Bonatto; R. Kurtev; J. R. A. Clarke; F. Penaloza; S. E. Sale; D. Minniti; J. Alonso-Garcia; E. Artigau; R. Barba; E. Bica; G. L. Baume; M. Catelan; A. N. Chene; B. Dias; S. L. Folkes; D. Froebrich; D. Geisler; R. de Grijs; M. M. Hanson; M. Hempel; V. D. Ivanov; M. S. N. Kumar; P.W. Lucas; F. Mauro; C. Moni Bidin; M. Rejkuba; R. K. Saito; M. Tamura; I. Toledo

doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201116662

New Galactic star clusters discovered in the VVV survey

J. Borissova, C. Bonatto, R. Kurtev, J. R. A. Clarke, F. Penaloza, S. E. Sale, D. Minniti, J. Alonso-Garcia, E. Artigau, R. Barba, E. Bica, G. L. Baume, M. Catelan, A. N. Chene, B. Dias, S. L. Folkes, D. Froebrich, D. Geisler, R. de Grijs, M. M. HansonM. Hempel, V. D. Ivanov, M. S. N. Kumar, P.W. Lucas, F. Mauro, C. Moni Bidin, M. Rejkuba, R. K. Saito, M. Tamura, I. Toledo

Centre for Astrophysics Research (CAR)

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Abstract

Context. VISTA Variables in the Via Lactea (VVV) is one of the six ESO Public Surveys operating on the new 4-m Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy (VISTA). VVV is scanning the Milky Way bulge and an adjacent section of the disk, where star formation activity is high. One of the principal goals of the VVV Survey is to find new star clusters of different ages.

Aims. In order to trace the early epochs of star cluster formation we concentrated our search in the directions to those of known star formation regions, masers, radio, and infrared sources.

Methods. The disk area covered by VVV was visually inspected using the pipeline processed and calibrated K-S-band tile images for stellar over-densities. Subsequently, we examined the composite JHK(S) and ZJK(S) color images of each candidate. PSF photometry of 15 x 15 arcmin fields centered on the candidates was then performed on the Cambridge Astronomy Survey Unit reduced images. After statistical field-star decontamination, color-magnitude and color-color diagrams were constructed and analyzed.

Results. We report the discovery of 96 new infrared open clusters and stellar groups. Most of the new cluster candidates are faint and compact (with small angular sizes), highly reddened, and younger than 5 Myr. For relatively well populated cluster candidates we derived their fundamental parameters such as reddening, distance, and age by fitting the solar-metallicity Padova isochrones to the color-magnitude diagrams.

Original language	English
Article number	A131
Pages (from-to)	-
Number of pages	12
Journal	Astronomy and Astrophysics
Volume	532
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201116662
Publication status	Published - Aug 2011

Keywords

open clusters and associations: general
stars: early-type
infrared: general

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10.1051/0004-6361/201116662

905830
Original article can be found at: http://www.aanda.org/ Copyright The European Southern Observatory
Accepted author manuscript, 1.45 MB

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Borissova, J., Bonatto, C., Kurtev, R., Clarke, J. R. A., Penaloza, F., Sale, S. E., Minniti, D., Alonso-Garcia, J., Artigau, E., Barba, R., Bica, E., Baume, G. L., Catelan, M., Chene, A. N., Dias, B., Folkes, S. L., Froebrich, D., Geisler, D., de Grijs, R., ... Toledo, I. (2011). New Galactic star clusters discovered in the VVV survey. Astronomy and Astrophysics, 532, -. Article A131. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201116662

@article{00f8d958286649e59fe40fa0a8af14d5,

title = "New Galactic star clusters discovered in the VVV survey",

abstract = "Context. VISTA Variables in the Via Lactea (VVV) is one of the six ESO Public Surveys operating on the new 4-m Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy (VISTA). VVV is scanning the Milky Way bulge and an adjacent section of the disk, where star formation activity is high. One of the principal goals of the VVV Survey is to find new star clusters of different ages.Aims. In order to trace the early epochs of star cluster formation we concentrated our search in the directions to those of known star formation regions, masers, radio, and infrared sources.Methods. The disk area covered by VVV was visually inspected using the pipeline processed and calibrated K-S-band tile images for stellar over-densities. Subsequently, we examined the composite JHK(S) and ZJK(S) color images of each candidate. PSF photometry of 15 x 15 arcmin fields centered on the candidates was then performed on the Cambridge Astronomy Survey Unit reduced images. After statistical field-star decontamination, color-magnitude and color-color diagrams were constructed and analyzed.Results. We report the discovery of 96 new infrared open clusters and stellar groups. Most of the new cluster candidates are faint and compact (with small angular sizes), highly reddened, and younger than 5 Myr. For relatively well populated cluster candidates we derived their fundamental parameters such as reddening, distance, and age by fitting the solar-metallicity Padova isochrones to the color-magnitude diagrams.",

keywords = "open clusters and associations: general, stars: early-type, infrared: general",

author = "J. Borissova and C. Bonatto and R. Kurtev and Clarke, {J. R. A.} and F. Penaloza and Sale, {S. E.} and D. Minniti and J. Alonso-Garcia and E. Artigau and R. Barba and E. Bica and Baume, {G. L.} and M. Catelan and Chene, {A. N.} and B. Dias and Folkes, {S. L.} and D. Froebrich and D. Geisler and {de Grijs}, R. and Hanson, {M. M.} and M. Hempel and Ivanov, {V. D.} and Kumar, {M. S. N.} and P.W. Lucas and F. Mauro and {Moni Bidin}, C. and M. Rejkuba and Saito, {R. K.} and M. Tamura and I. Toledo",

note = "Original article can be found at: http://www.aanda.org/ Copyright The European Southern Observatory",

year = "2011",

month = aug,

doi = "10.1051/0004-6361/201116662",

language = "English",

volume = "532",

pages = "--",

journal = "Astronomy and Astrophysics",

issn = "0004-6361",

publisher = "EDP Sciences",

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Borissova, J, Bonatto, C, Kurtev, R, Clarke, JRA, Penaloza, F, Sale, SE, Minniti, D, Alonso-Garcia, J, Artigau, E, Barba, R, Bica, E, Baume, GL, Catelan, M, Chene, AN, Dias, B, Folkes, SL, Froebrich, D, Geisler, D, de Grijs, R, Hanson, MM, Hempel, M, Ivanov, VD, Kumar, MSN, Lucas, PW, Mauro, F, Moni Bidin, C, Rejkuba, M, Saito, RK, Tamura, M & Toledo, I 2011, 'New Galactic star clusters discovered in the VVV survey', Astronomy and Astrophysics, vol. 532, A131, pp. -. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201116662

TY - JOUR

T1 - New Galactic star clusters discovered in the VVV survey

AU - Borissova, J.

AU - Bonatto, C.

AU - Kurtev, R.

AU - Clarke, J. R. A.

AU - Penaloza, F.

AU - Sale, S. E.

AU - Minniti, D.

AU - Alonso-Garcia, J.

AU - Artigau, E.

AU - Barba, R.

AU - Bica, E.

AU - Baume, G. L.

AU - Catelan, M.

AU - Chene, A. N.

AU - Dias, B.

AU - Folkes, S. L.

AU - Froebrich, D.

AU - Geisler, D.

AU - de Grijs, R.

AU - Hanson, M. M.

AU - Hempel, M.

AU - Ivanov, V. D.

AU - Kumar, M. S. N.

AU - Lucas, P.W.

AU - Mauro, F.

AU - Moni Bidin, C.

AU - Rejkuba, M.

AU - Saito, R. K.

AU - Tamura, M.

AU - Toledo, I.

N1 - Original article can be found at: http://www.aanda.org/ Copyright The European Southern Observatory

PY - 2011/8

Y1 - 2011/8

N2 - Context. VISTA Variables in the Via Lactea (VVV) is one of the six ESO Public Surveys operating on the new 4-m Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy (VISTA). VVV is scanning the Milky Way bulge and an adjacent section of the disk, where star formation activity is high. One of the principal goals of the VVV Survey is to find new star clusters of different ages.Aims. In order to trace the early epochs of star cluster formation we concentrated our search in the directions to those of known star formation regions, masers, radio, and infrared sources.Methods. The disk area covered by VVV was visually inspected using the pipeline processed and calibrated K-S-band tile images for stellar over-densities. Subsequently, we examined the composite JHK(S) and ZJK(S) color images of each candidate. PSF photometry of 15 x 15 arcmin fields centered on the candidates was then performed on the Cambridge Astronomy Survey Unit reduced images. After statistical field-star decontamination, color-magnitude and color-color diagrams were constructed and analyzed.Results. We report the discovery of 96 new infrared open clusters and stellar groups. Most of the new cluster candidates are faint and compact (with small angular sizes), highly reddened, and younger than 5 Myr. For relatively well populated cluster candidates we derived their fundamental parameters such as reddening, distance, and age by fitting the solar-metallicity Padova isochrones to the color-magnitude diagrams.

AB - Context. VISTA Variables in the Via Lactea (VVV) is one of the six ESO Public Surveys operating on the new 4-m Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy (VISTA). VVV is scanning the Milky Way bulge and an adjacent section of the disk, where star formation activity is high. One of the principal goals of the VVV Survey is to find new star clusters of different ages.Aims. In order to trace the early epochs of star cluster formation we concentrated our search in the directions to those of known star formation regions, masers, radio, and infrared sources.Methods. The disk area covered by VVV was visually inspected using the pipeline processed and calibrated K-S-band tile images for stellar over-densities. Subsequently, we examined the composite JHK(S) and ZJK(S) color images of each candidate. PSF photometry of 15 x 15 arcmin fields centered on the candidates was then performed on the Cambridge Astronomy Survey Unit reduced images. After statistical field-star decontamination, color-magnitude and color-color diagrams were constructed and analyzed.Results. We report the discovery of 96 new infrared open clusters and stellar groups. Most of the new cluster candidates are faint and compact (with small angular sizes), highly reddened, and younger than 5 Myr. For relatively well populated cluster candidates we derived their fundamental parameters such as reddening, distance, and age by fitting the solar-metallicity Padova isochrones to the color-magnitude diagrams.

KW - open clusters and associations: general

KW - stars: early-type

KW - infrared: general

U2 - 10.1051/0004-6361/201116662

DO - 10.1051/0004-6361/201116662

M3 - Article

SN - 0004-6361

VL - 532

SP - -

JO - Astronomy and Astrophysics

JF - Astronomy and Astrophysics

M1 - A131

ER -

New Galactic star clusters discovered in the VVV survey

Abstract

Keywords

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