Towards a More Complex Understanding of Natal Super Star Clusters with Multiwavelength Observations

TL;DR

This study uses high-resolution multiwavelength observations of Henize 2-10 to analyze the properties and evolution of embedded super star clusters, highlighting the importance of spatial resolution in understanding their formation and potential survival.

Contribution

It provides a detailed multiwavelength analysis of natal super star clusters in Henize 2-10, emphasizing the role of spatial resolution in characterizing their properties and evolution.

Findings

High star formation efficiency (>70%) in some natal clusters

Clusters may remain bound and survive as globular clusters

Multiwavelength observations disentangle individual clusters from complexes

Abstract

Henize 2-10 (He 2-10) is a nearby (D = 9 Mpc) starbursting blue compact dwarf galaxy that boasts a high star formation rate and a low luminosity AGN. He 2-10 is also one of the first galaxies in which embedded superstar clusters (SSCs) were discovered. SSCs are massive, compact star clusters that will impact their host galaxies dramatically when their massive stars evolve. Here, we discuss radio, submillimeter, and infrared observations of He 2-10 from 1.87 microns to 6 cm in high angular resolution (~0.3 arcsec), which allows us to disentangle individual clusters from aggregate complexes as identified at lower resolution. These results indicate the importance of spatial resolution to characterize SSCs, as low resolution studies of SSCs average over aggregate complexes that may host SSCs at different stages of evolution. We explore the thermal, non-thermal, and dust emission associated with the clusters along with dense molecular tracers to construct a holistic review of the natal SSCs that have yet to dramatically disrupt their parent molecular clouds. We assess the production rate of ionizing photons, extinction, total mass, and the star formation efficiency associated with the clusters. Notably, we find that the star formation efficiency for the some of the natal clusters is high (>70%), which suggests that these clusters could remain bound even after the gas is dispersed from the system from stellar feedback mechanisms. If they remain bound, these SSCs could survive to become objects indistinguishable from globular clusters.