Variability of young massive stars in the Arches cluster
Abstract
We present preliminary results of the first near-infrared variability study of the Arches cluster, using adaptive optics data from NIRI/Gemini and NACO/VLT. The goal is to discover eclipsing binaries in this young (2.5 +/- 0.5 Myr), dense, massive cluster for which we will determine accurate fundamental parameters with subsequent spectroscopy. Given that the Arches cluster contains more than 200 Wolf-Rayet and O-type stars, it provides a rare opportunity to determine parameters for some of the most massive stars in the Galaxy.
- Publication:
-
Active OB Stars: Structure, Evolution, Mass Loss, and Critical Limits
- Pub Date:
- July 2011
- DOI:
- 10.1017/S1743921311010659
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1009.4907
- Bibcode:
- 2011IAUS..272..298M
- Keywords:
-
- Galaxy: center;
- infrared: stars;
- open clusters and associations: individual (Arches cluster);
- binaries: eclipsing;
- stars: variables: other;
- stars: Wolf-Rayet;
- Astrophysics - Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- 2 pages, to appear in the proceedings of the IAUS 272 on "Active OB stars: structure, evolution, mass loss and critical limits" (Paris, July 19-23, 2010), Cambridge University Press. Editors C. Neiner, G. Wade, G. Meynet and G. Peters