Abstract
The Quintuplet cluster is one of the most massive star clusters in the Milky Way, situated very close to the Galactic center. We present a new search for variable stars in the vicinity of the cluster, using the five-year database of the Vista Variables in the Via Lactea (VVV) ESO Public Survey in the near-infrared. A total of 7586 objects were identified in the zone around $2'$ from the cluster center, using 55 $K_S$-band epochs. Thirty-three stars show $K_S$-band variability, 24 of them being previously undiscovered. Most of the variable stars found are slow/semiregular variables, long-period variables of the Mira type, and OH/IR stars. In addition, a good number of our candidates show variations in a rather short timescale. We also propose four Young Stellar Object (YSO) candidates, which could be cluster members.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1180-1191 |
Number of pages | 12 |
Journal | Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society |
Volume | 462 |
Issue number | 2 |
Early online date | 20 Jul 2016 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 21 Oct 2016 |
Keywords
- astro-ph.SR
- astro-ph.GA