2003/02/17 by G. Parmentier, R. de Grijs, R. d. Grijs +1 · 2 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy and Astrophysical Research #Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies #Chemical evolution #Cluster (spacecraft) #Galaxy #Metallicity #Population #Star cluster #Star formation #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1046/j.1365-8711.2003.06530.x
published as Mon.Not.Roy.Astron.Soc. 342 (2003) 208 · 14 pages, accepted for publication in MNRAS
arxiv created 2003/02/17 · openalex publication_date 2003/06/02 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
M82 B is an old starburst site located in the eastern part of the M82 disc. We derive the distributions of age and metallicity of the star clusters located in this region of M82 by using theoretical evolutionary population synthesis models. Our analysis is based on the comparison of the BVIJ photometry obtained by de Grijs, O'Connel & Gallagher with the colours of single-generation stellar populations. We show that M82 B went through a chemical enrichment phase up to super-solar metallicities around the time of the last close encounter between M82 and its large neighbour galaxy M81. We date and confirm the event that triggered the enhanced cluster formation about 1 Gyr ago. At almost the same time an additional, distinct subpopulation of metal-poor clusters formed in the part of M82 B nearest to the galactic centre. The formation of these peculiar clusters may be related to infall of circumgalactic gas on to M82 B.