A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal

Low-density star cluster formation: Discovery of a young faint fuzzy on the outskirts of the low-mass spiral galaxy NGC 247




AuthorsRomanowsky Aaron J, Larsen Søren S, Villaume Alexa, Carlin Jeffrey L, Janz Joachim, Sand David J, Strader Jay, Brodie Jean P, Chakrabarti Sukanya, Cheng Chloe M, Crnojević Denija, Forbes Duncan A, Garling Christopher T, Hargis Jonathan R, Karunakaran Ananthan, Martín-Navarro Ignacio, Olsen Knut AG, Rider Nicole, Salimkumar Bitha, Santhanakrishnan Vakini, Spekkens Kristine, Tang Yimeng, van Dokkum Pieter G, Willman Beth.

PublisherOxford University Press

Publication year2023

Journal: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

Journal name in sourceMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

Volume518

Issue2

First page 3164

Last page3182

eISSN1365-2966

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stac2898

Publication's open availability at the time of reportingNo Open Access

Publication channel's open availability Partially Open Access publication channel

Web address https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/518/2/3164/6763457

Self-archived copy’s web addresshttps://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/179814108

Self-archived copy's versionPublisher`s PDF


Abstract

The classical globular clusters found in all galaxy types have half-light radii of rh ∼ 2–4 pc, which have been tied to formation in the dense cores of giant molecular clouds. Some old star clusters have larger sizes, and it is unclear if these represent a fundamentally different mode of low-density star cluster formation. We report the discovery of a rare, young ‘faint fuzzy’ star cluster, NGC 247-SC1, on the outskirts of the low-mass spiral galaxy NGC 247 in the nearby Sculptor group, and measure its radial velocity using Keck spectroscopy. We use Hubble Space Telescope imaging to measure the cluster half-light radius of rh ≃ 12 pc and a luminosity of LV ≃ 4 × 105L. We produce a colour–magnitude diagram of cluster stars and compare to theoretical isochrones, finding an age of ≃300 Myr, a metallicity of [Z/H] ∼ −0.6 and an inferred mass of M ≃ 9 × 104M. The narrow width of blue-loop star magnitudes implies an age spread of ≲50 Myr, while no old red-giant branch stars are found, so SC1 is consistent with hosting a single stellar population, modulo several unexplained bright ‘red straggler’ stars. SC1 appears to be surrounded by tidal debris, at the end of an ∼2 kpc long stellar filament that also hosts two low-mass, low-density clusters of a similar age. We explore a link between the formation of these unusual clusters and an external perturbation of their host galaxy, illuminating a possible channel by which some clusters are born with large sizes.


Downloadable publication

This is an electronic reprint of the original article.
This reprint may differ from the original in pagination and typographic detail. Please cite the original version.





Last updated on 27/03/2025 10:06:09 PM