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Infrared surveys of Galactic star clusters

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 January 2010

Valentin D. Ivanov
Affiliation:
ESO, Ave. Alonso de Cordova 3107, Casilla 19, Santiago 19001, Chile email: vivanov@eso.org
Maria Messineo
Affiliation:
Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science, Rochester Institute of Technology, 54 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, NY 14623-5604, USA email: messineo@cis.rit.edu, figer@cis.rit.edu
Qingfeng Zhu
Affiliation:
Key Laboratory for Research in Galaxies and Cosmology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, China email: zhuqf@ustc.edu.cn
Don Figer
Affiliation:
Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science, Rochester Institute of Technology, 54 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, NY 14623-5604, USA email: messineo@cis.rit.edu, figer@cis.rit.edu
J. Borissova
Affiliation:
Departamento de Física y Astronomía, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Ave. Gran Bretaña 1111, Playa Ancha, Casilla 53, Valparaíso, Chile email: jura.borissova@uv.cl, radostin.kurtev@uv.cl
R. Kurtev
Affiliation:
Departamento de Física y Astronomía, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Ave. Gran Bretaña 1111, Playa Ancha, Casilla 53, Valparaíso, Chile email: jura.borissova@uv.cl, radostin.kurtev@uv.cl
G. R. Ivanov
Affiliation:
Department of Astronomy, Sofia University, Bulgaria, 5 James Bourchier, 1164 Sofia, Bulgaria email: gr_ivanov@phys.uni-sofia.bg
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Abstract

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Many attempts have been made to carry out a complete observational census of Milky Way star clusters based on recent near- and mid-infrared surveys. However, more clusters are still being discovered, indicating that existing catalogs are incomplete. We attempt to estimate the total number of supermassive (SM; Mcl ≥ 104 M) clusters in the Galaxy, and to improve the yield from the automated cluster searches. Assuming that the ‘local’ census of SM clusters is complete, and that their surface density accross the disk follows that of the stars, we predict that the Milky Way contains ≥81 ± 21 SM clusters. We apply a cluster-detection algorithm to the 2mass Point Source Catalog after a preliminary color and/or magnitude selection of the point sources to improves the surface-density cluster-to-field contrast. Our algorithm identified 94 new candidates, and re-identified 34 known clusters. During the visual inspection, we detected an additional 41 new candidates, and re-identified 32 known objects. Preliminary characterization suggests that the new list may contain red-supergiant, open and globular clusters.

Type
Contributed Papers
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2010

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