Astronomers Peer Into Galaxies' Building Blocks

Researchers have discovered 652 star clusters using NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, but a new examination of them is allowing the researchers to study the building blocks of galaxies, according to a recent study.

"Star clusters are often considered as building blocks of galaxies," Denilso Camargo from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil and co-author of the study, said in a news release. "Understanding how these objects form and evolve is vital to our comprehension of the structure, formation and evolution of galaxies."

Star clusters are formed when a giant cloud of molecular gas condenses. However, this process could be quite complex. The researchers found numerous objects which they classified as open clusters (OCs), open cluster candidates (OCCs), embedded clusters (ECs), embedded stellar groups and embedded cluster candidates (ECCs).

By examining these processes the researchers found varying levels of interstellar dust and gases. They found that some of the objects were tens of millions of years old. Some of these objects were ideal for researchers to study stellar evolution and star formation.

"The open cluster system has been used to analyze the structure, dynamics, composition and evolution of the Milky Way's disk," Camargo said. "Old open clusters are excellent probes of disk formation and early evolution. Young open clusters have been used as tracers of the spiral pattern in galactic disks."

The researchers used embedded clusters to examine the spiral structure of the Milky Way Galaxy. The findings of the study are allowing researchers to learn more about star formation and other large celestial structures.

The findings of this study were published in ArXiv.

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