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2.2. The stellar content of the Quintuplet cluster

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 May 2016

Donald F. Figer
Affiliation:
University of California, Los Angeles, Division of Astronomy, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1562
Ian S. McLean
Affiliation:
University of California, Los Angeles, Division of Astronomy, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1562
Mark Morris
Affiliation:
University of California, Los Angeles, Division of Astronomy, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1562
Francisco Najarro
Affiliation:
Institut für Astronomie und Astrophysik der Universität München, Scheinerstr. 1, D-81679 München, Germany

Abstract

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The Quintuplet cluster contains over two dozen post main sequence descendants of massive O-stars, including Wolf-Rayet and OBI stars.

The five Quintuplet-proper members (QPMs) may be dusty late-type Wolf-Rayet carbon stars (DWCLs), and the Pistol star may have a very high luminosity, ≈ 106.7±0.5 L⊙. Coupled with its rather cool temperature, 12–23 kK, the Pistol Star is well in violation of the Humphreys–Davidson limit. We argue that the surrounding “Pistol” nebula was ejected from the star a few thousand years ago.

The cluster stars imply the following approximate cluster properties: tage ∼ 2 to 7 Myrs, M ∼ 104 M⊙, L ∼ 107.3±0.2 L⊙, and NLy,c > 1049.9 s−1. The “Sickle” (G0.18–0.04) radio feature and the mid-IR ring (seen in MSX images) may naturally be explained by the presence of a young cluster and a nearby molecular cloud.

Type
Part I. Stellar Cluster, Star Formation
Copyright
Copyright © Kluwer 1998 

References

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