9 December 2024
Monday, December 9th 2024, at 3:00pm ET
Speaker: Janice Lee | Space Telescope Science Institute
Title: New Views of Star Formation in Nearby Galaxies with ~100,000 Star Clusters and Associations from PHANGS HST & JWST
Abstract: Star clusters are key products of star formation. They trace the densest peaks of the star formation hierarchy, and as (effectively) single-age populations, they have great utility as “clocks” for timing various phases of the star formation cycle. By studying their ensemble properties, we gain critical insights into the physics of star formation, feedback, cluster disruption and evolution. I will present recent results from the PHANGS-HST and JWST surveys, which provide the most extensive census to date of both optically visible and dust-embedded star clusters across a diverse sample of nearby galaxies. A consistent picture has emerged of these early phases of star cluster evolution, using complementary observational tracers and methods of analysis, confirming the short dust clearing timescales (<~3 Myr) reported by optical studies. These findings highlight the significant role of early feedback—pre-supernova mechanisms—in shaping the star formation cycle.
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