No Arabic abstract
We discuss the structural change and degree of mass segregation of young dense star clusters within about 100pc of the Galactic center. In our calculations, which are performed with GRAPE-6, the equations of motion of all stars and binaries are calculated accurately but the external potential of the Galaxy is solved (semi)analytically. The simulations are preformed to model the Arches star cluster. We find that star clusters with are less strongly perturbed by the tidal field and dynamical friction are much stronger affected by mass segregation; resulting in a significant pile-up of massive stars in the cluster center. At an age of about 3.5Myr more than 90 per cent of the stars more massive than ~10Msun are concentrated within the half-mass radius of the surviving cluster. Star clusters which are strongly perturbed by the tidal field of the parent Galaxy are much less affected by mass segregation.
We have performed fully self-consistent $N$-body simulations of star clusters near the Galactic center (GC). Such simulations have not been performed because it is difficult to perform fast and accurate simulations of such systems using conventional methods. We used the Bridge code, which integrates the parent galaxy using the tree algorithm and the star cluster using the fourth-order Hermite scheme with individual timestep. The interaction between the parent galaxy and the star cluster is calculate with the tree algorithm. Therefore, the Bridge code can handle both the orbital and internal evolutions of star clusters correctly at the same time. We investigated the evolution of star clusters using the Bridge code and compared the results with previous studies. We found that 1) the inspiral timescale of the star clusters is shorter than that obtained with traditional simulations, in which the orbital evolution of star clusters is calculated analytically using the dynamical friction formula and 2) the core collapse of the star cluster increases the core density and help the cluster survive. The initial conditions of star clusters is not so severe as previously suggested.
A line-of-sight towards the Galactic Center (GC) offers the largest number of potentially habitable systems of any direction in the sky. The Breakthrough Listen program is undertaking the most sensitive and deepest targeted SETI surveys towards the GC. Here, we outline our observing strategies with Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT) and Parkes telescope to conduct 600 hours of deep observations across 0.7--93 GHz. We report preliminary results from our survey for ETI beacons across 1--8 GHz with 7.0 and 11.2 hours of observations with Parkes and GBT, respectively. With our narrowband drifting signal search, we were able to place meaningful constraints on ETI transmitters across 1--4 GHz and 3.9--8 GHz with EIRP limits of $geq$4$times$10$^{18}$ W among 60 million stars and $geq$5$times$10$^{17}$ W among half a million stars, respectively. For the first time, we were able to constrain the existence of artificially dispersed transient signals across 3.9--8 GHz with EIRP $geq$1$times$10$^{14}$ W/Hz with a repetition period $leq$4.3 hours. We also searched our 11.2 hours of deep observations of the GC and its surrounding region for Fast Radio Burst-like magnetars with the DM up to 5000 pc cm$^{-3}$ with maximum pulse widths up to 90 ms at 6 GHz. We detected several hundred transient bursts from SGR J1745$-$2900, but did not detect any new transient burst with the peak luminosity limit across our observed band of $geq$10$^{31}$ erg s$^{-1}$ and burst-rate of $geq$0.23 burst-hr$^{-1}$. These limits are comparable to bright transient emission seen from other Galactic radio-loud magnetars, constraining their presence at the GC.
We present near-infrared spectroscopy and 1 mm line and continuum observations of a recently identified site of high mass star formation likely to be located in the Central Molecular Zone near Sgr C. Located on the outskirts of the massive evolved HII region associated with Sgr C, the area is characterized by an Extended Green Object measuring ~10 in size (0.4 pc), whose observational characteristics suggest the presence of an embedded massive protostar driving an outflow. Our data confirm that early-stage star formation is taking place on the periphery of the Sgr C HII region, with detections of two protostellar cores and several knots of H2 and Brackett gamma emission alongside a previously detected compact radio source. We calculate the cores joint mass to be ~10^3 Msun, with column densities of 1-2 x 10^24 cm-2. We show the host molecular cloud to hold ~10^5 Msun of gas and dust with temperatures and column densities favourable for massive star formation to occur, however, there is no evidence of star formation outside of the EGO, indicating that the cloud is predominantly quiescent. Given its mass, density, and temperature, the cloud is comparable to other remarkable non-star-forming clouds such as G0.253 in the Eastern CMZ.
Nine presently known young Galactic globular clusters, which have ages / 3 Gyr smaller than the oldest clusters of similar metallicity, all have RGC > 15 kpc. Furthermore these young globulars are found to have below-average luminosities. These results suggest that (1) globular cluster formation extended over a considerable period of time in the outermost part of the Galactic halo, and (2) that typical luminosities (masses) of such outer halo clusters decreased with time.
NGC6357 is an active star forming region with very young massive open clusters (OC). These clusters contain some of the most massive stars in the Galaxy and strongly interact with nearby giant molecular clouds (GMC). We study the young stellar populations of the region and of the OC Pismis24, focusing on their relationship with the nearby GMCs. We seek evidence of triggered star formation propagating from the clusters. We used new deep JHKs photometry, along with unpublished deep IRAC/Spitzer MIR photometry, complemented with optical HST/WFPC2 high spatial resolution photometry and X-ray Chandra observations, to constrain age, initial mass function, and star formation modes in progress. We carefully examine and discuss all sources of bias (saturation, confusion, different sensitivities, extinction). NGC6357 hosts three large young stellar clusters, of which Pismis24 is the most prominent. We found that Pismis24 is a very young (~1-3 Myr) OC with a Salpeter-like IMF and a few thousand members. A comparison between optical and IR photometry indicates that the fraction of members with a NIR excess (i. e., with a circumstellar disk) is in the range 0.3-0.6, consistent with its photometrically derived age. We also find that Pismis24 is likely subdivided into a few different sub-clusters, one of which contains almost all the massive members. There are indications of current star formation triggered by these massive stars, but clear age trends could not be derived (although the fraction of stars with a NIR excess does increase towards the HII region associated with the cluster). The gas out of which Pismis24 formed must have been distributed in dense clumps within a cloud of less dense gas ~1 pc in radius. Our findings provide some new insight into how young stellar populations and massive stars emerge, and evolve in the first few Myr after birth, from a giant molecular cloud complex.