GEPI

De la conception instrumentale
à l’exploitation des observables
Accueil > Séminaires > Star clusters in the Galactic Center -

Star clusters in the Galactic Center - their orbital motion and mysterious formation

Andrea Stolte (Universität Bonn)

Jour inhabituel !

The Galactic center is the most efficient, and most extreme star-forming environment in the Milky Way. It brings forth some of the largest star-formation complexes, such as the Sgr B2 complex, and richest young star clusters.

The Arches and Quintuplet star clusters, at a projected distance of a mere 30 pc from the supermassive black hole, are among the most massive, young starburst clusters that formed in the Galactic disk within the past 5 Myr. Proper motion studies with adaptive optics systems now allow us to measure the orbital motion of these star clusters. Both clusters appear to share very similar orbits in the inner Galaxy, with their orbital velocities being substantially larger than expected from circular orbits.

In this presentation, I will present the results of the proper motion campaign, and show simplified simulations of the cluster orbits to discuss the mysterious circumstances of their formation.

Presentation