# The Quintuplet Cluster: Extended Structure and Tidal Radius

## TL;DR

This study investigates the structure and extent of the Quintuplet star cluster near the Galactic Center, revealing its large core radius and lack of tidal truncation, which suggests rapid dissolution of such clusters in this extreme environment.

## Contribution

The paper provides the first extensive proper motion and photometric analysis of the Quintuplet cluster over a large field, measuring its radial density profile and tidal radius, and comparing its properties to the Arches cluster.

## Key findings

- The Quintuplet's tidal radius is at least 3 pc, with no evidence of tidal truncation.
- Weak mass segregation is observed, unlike the Arches cluster.
- The large core radius indicates rapid dissolution of young massive clusters in the Galactic Center.

## Abstract

The Quintuplet star cluster is one of only three known young ($<10$ Myr) massive (M $>10^4$ M$_\odot$) clusters within $\sim100$ pc of the Galactic Center. In order to explore star cluster formation and evolution in this extreme environment, we analyze the Quintuplet's dynamical structure. Using the HST WFC3-IR instrument, we take astrometric and photometric observations of the Quintuplet covering a $120''\times120''$ field-of-view, which is $19$ times larger than those of previous proper motion studies of the Quintuplet. We generate a catalog of the Quintuplet region with multi-band, near-infrared photometry, proper motions, and cluster membership probabilities for $10,543$ stars. We present the radial density profile of $715$ candidate Quintuplet cluster members with $M\gtrsim4.7$ M$_\odot$ out to $3.2$ pc from the cluster center. A $3\sigma$ lower limit of $3$ pc is placed on the tidal radius, indicating the lack of a tidal truncation within this radius range. Only weak evidence for mass segregation is found, in contrast to the strong mass segregation found in the Arches cluster, a second and slightly younger massive cluster near the Galactic Center. It is possible that tidal stripping hampers a mass segregation signature, though we find no evidence of spatial asymmetry. Assuming that the Arches and Quintuplet formed with comparable extent, our measurement of the Quintuplet's comparatively large core radius of $0.62^{+0.10}_{-0.10}$ pc provides strong empirical evidence that young massive clusters in the Galactic Center dissolve on a several Myr timescale.