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Whilst young massive clusters (YMCs; $M$ $gtrsim$ 10$^{4}$ M$_{odot}$, age $lesssim$ 100 Myr) have been identified in significant numbers, their progenitor gas clouds have eluded detection. Recently, four extreme molecular clouds residing within 200 pc of the Galactic centre have been identified as having the properties thought necessary to form YMCs. Here we utilise far-IR continuum data from the Herschel Infrared Galactic Plane Survey (HiGAL) and millimetre spectral line data from the Millimetre Astronomy Legacy Team 90 GHz Survey (MALT90) to determine their global physical and kinematic structure. We derive their masses, dust temperatures and radii and use virial analysis to conclude that they are all likely gravitationally bound -- confirming that they are likely YMC progenitors. We then compare the density profiles of these clouds to those of the gas and stellar components of the Sagittarius B2 Main and North proto-clusters and the stellar distribution of the Arches YMC. We find that even in these clouds -- the most massive and dense quiescent clouds in the Galaxy -- the gas is not compact enough to form an Arches-like ($M$ = 2x10$^{4}$ M$_{odot}$, R$_{eff}$ = 0.4 pc) stellar distribution. Further dynamical processes would be required to condense the resultant population, indicating that the mass becomes more centrally concentrated as the (proto)-cluster evolves. These results suggest that YMC formation may proceed hierarchically rather than through monolithic collapse.
The progenitors of high-mass stars and clusters are still challenging to recognise. Only unbiased surveys, sensitive to compact regions of high dust column density, can unambiguously reveal such a small population of particularly massive and cold clu
We obtained K-band spectroscopy of the brightest members of the cluster VVV CL074 in order to identify the massive star population. We also determined the stellar properties of the clusters massive stars to better quantify the evolutionary sequences
We present preliminary results of the first near-infrared variability study of the Arches cluster, using adaptive optics data from NIRI/Gemini and NACO/VLT. The goal is to discover eclipsing binaries in this young (2.5 +- 0.5 Myr), dense, massive clu
We present results from the Ponos simulation suite on the early evolution of a massive, $M_{rm vir}(z=0)=1.2times 10^{13}$ M$_{odot}$ galaxy. At $zgtrsim6$, before feedback from a central supermassive black hole becomes dominant, the main galaxy has
An unsettled question concerning the formation and distribution of massive stars is whether they must be born in massive clusters and, if found in less dense environments, whether they must have migrated there. With the advent of wide-area digital ph