Super star clusters and Supernovae in interacting LIRGs unmasked by NIR adaptive optics

TL;DR

This study uses near-infrared adaptive optics to uncover super star clusters and obscured supernovae in interacting luminous IR galaxies, providing insights into star formation and cluster evolution in dusty environments.

Contribution

It presents the first NIR luminosity functions of super star cluster candidates and reports on the detection of highly obscured core-collapse supernovae in these galaxies.

Findings

Detection of supernovae in highly extincted nuclear regions.

First NIR luminosity functions of super star cluster candidates.

Insights into star formation and cluster evolution in dusty IR galaxies.

Abstract

We report on an on-going near-IR adaptive optics survey targeting interacting luminous IR galaxies. High-spatial resolution NIR data are crucial to enable interpretation of kinematic, dynamical and star formation (SF) properties of these very dusty objects. Whole progenitor nuclei in the interactions can be missed if only optical HST imaging is used. Here we specifically present the latest results regarding core-collapse supernovae found within the highly extincted nuclear regions of these galaxies. Direct detection and study of such highly obscured CCSNe is crucial for revising the optically-derived SN rates used for providing an independent measurement of the SF history of the Universe. We also present thus-far the first NIR luminosity functions of super star cluster (SSC) candidates. The LFs can then be used to constrain the formation and evolution of SSCs via constraints based on initial mass functions and cluster disruption models.