Searching for Ghost Clusters in the LMC: Are the Missing Star Clusters Really Missing?
This study investigated three star cluster candidates in the Large Magellanic Cloud’s age gap but found no strong evidence that they are real clusters. Instead, they appear to be random stellar overdensities. The findings suggest that the missing clusters may never have formed or were lost due to galactic interactions, challenging current models of star cluster formation.
From Clouds to Clusters: Are the Orion, Pleiades, and Hyades Stages of the Same Star Cluster?
Safaei et al. simulate how a dense young cluster like the Orion Nebula Cluster (ONC) evolves over time. Their models show it can expand and lose stars to resemble the Pleiades at ~100 million years and the Hyades at ~800 million years. This suggests the ONC, Pleiades, and Hyades may represent stages of the same cluster type.
Illuminating Star Birth: JWST Reveals the Life Stages of Emerging Star Clusters in M83
This study uses JWST observations to uncover the early life stages of star clusters in the galaxy M83. By classifying clusters based on infrared emissions, the authors track their emergence from gas and dust. Most clusters become exposed within 6 million years, though only 20–30% remain bound. The central galaxy region forms the most massive clusters, highlighting environmental effects on star formation.
How Star Clusters Grow Old: Modeling the Formation and Evolution of the Milky Way’s Stellar Families
This study models how Milky Way star clusters form and evolve, focusing on how their masses change with age. Using data from the MWSC survey, the authors find that clusters lose most of their mass early on through a phase called violent relaxation. Their model matches observations well and suggests a constant cluster formation rate over billions of years.
The Youngest Star Clusters in the Large Magellanic Cloud
This study explores the youngest star clusters in the Large Magellanic Cloud using multi-wavelength data and machine learning techniques. Researchers identified clusters, estimated their ages and masses, and found a strong relationship between cluster mass and the most massive star, supporting the "optimal sampling" model of star formation. Their findings provide new insights into how stars form and evolve in dwarf galaxies, helping to refine our understanding of stellar and galactic evolution.
Formation of Star Clusters and Black Holes in the Early Universe: Insights from High-Redshift Galaxies
Lucio Mayer and colleagues used high-resolution simulations to investigate the formation of ultra-compact star clusters and massive black holes in early galaxies at redshifts greater than 7. They found that dense, gas-rich disks in these galaxies could fragment, rapidly forming compact star clusters with extreme stellar densities. The team suggests that these clusters could generate intermediate-mass black holes, which would then merge to form supermassive black holes, explaining the overmassive black holes observed by JWST in the early universe.