2023ApJ...953..125G -
Astrophys. J., 953, 125 (2023/August-3)
An Ongoing Tidal Capture in the Large Magellanic Cloud: The Low-mass Star Cluster KMK 88-10 Captured by the Massive Globular Cluster NGC 1835?
GIUSTI C., CADELANO M., FERRARO F.R., LANZONI B., LEANZA S., PALLANCA C., VESPERINI E., DALESSANDRO E. and MUCCIARELLI A.
Abstract (from CDS):
In the context of a project aimed at characterizing the dynamical evolution of old globular clusters in the Large Magellanic Cloud, we have secured deep HST/WFC3 images of the massive cluster NGC 1835. In the field of view of the acquired images, at a projected angular separation of approximately 2' from the cluster, we detected the small stellar system KMK 88-10. The observations provided the deepest color-magnitude diagram ever obtained for this cluster, revealing that it hosts a young stellar population with an age of 600-1000 Myr. The cluster surface brightness profile is nicely reproduced by a King model with a core radius rc = 4″ (0.97 pc), a half-mass radius rhm = 12″ (2.9 pc), and a concentration parameter c ∼ 1.3 corresponding to a truncation radius rt ∼ 81″ (19.5 pc). We also derived its integrated absolute magnitude (MV = -0.71) and total mass (M ∼ 80-160 M⊙). The most intriguing feature emerging from this analysis is that KMK 88-10 presents a structure elongated in the direction of NGC 1835, with an intracluster overdensity that suggests the presence of a tidal bridge between the two systems. If confirmed, this would be the first evidence of a tidal capture of a small star cluster by a massive globular.
Abstract Copyright:
© 2023. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society.
Journal keyword(s):
Stellar photometry - Young star clusters - Large Magellanic Cloud
Simbad objects:
4
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