[85.03] Optical and Near-Infrared Spectroscopy of Young, Massive Star Clusters in the Antennae

AAS 205th Meeting, 9-13 January 2005
Session 85 Star Clusters and Associations
Oral, Tuesday, January 11, 2005, 2:00-3:30pm, Royal Palm 1-3

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[85.03] Optical and Near-Infrared Spectroscopy of Young, Massive Star Clusters in the Antennae

M.H. Christopher, N.Z. Scoville (Caltech), L. Armus (Caltech/SSC)

We present results from our extensive project of Keck near-infrared (H and K band) and optical (3500-9000 Å) spectroscopy of young, massive star clusters in the Antennae. Our observations yielded both optical and near-infrared spectra of 37 clusters and optical spectra alone for an additional 30 clusters. The observed clusters sample all regions of active star formation within the Antennae. We estimate the age, mass, and extinction towards the clusters by comparing key diagnostic emission and absorption features (eg. Br\gamma, CO bandheads, H\alpha, etc.) to population synthesis models and imaging studies. The young clusters seem to have not been formed instantaneously, but rather over 10⁷ years. With this detailed census of properties for more than 60 Antennae clusters, we examine trends in cluster age and mass with location, thus working to constrain theories of massive star cluster formation in merging systems.

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