The Messenger Astronomical Science

Towards a Sharper Picture of R136 with SPHERE Extreme Adaptive Optics

Authors
  • Khorrami, Zeinab [School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University, United Kingdom; Université Côte d’Azur, OCA, CNRS, Lagrange, France]
  • Vakili, Farrokh [School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University, United Kingdom]
  • Lanz, Thierry [School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University, United Kingdom]
  • Langlois, Maud [Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, CRAL UMR5574, Saint-Genis Laval, France; Université Aix Marseille, CNRS, Laboratoire d’Astrophysique de Marseille, UMR 7326, France]
  • Lagadec, Eric [School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University, United Kingdom]
  • Meyer, Michael R. [Institute for Astronomy, ETH Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Astronomy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, U.S.A.]
  • Gratton, Raffaele [INAF — Astronomical Observatory of Padua, Italy]
  • Beuzit, Jean-Luc [Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Institut de Planétologie et d’Astrophysique de Grenoble, France]
  • Mouillet, David [Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Institut de Planétologie et d’Astrophysique de Grenoble, France]

Section
Astronomical Science
Abstract

The SPHERE extreme adaptive optics instrument was used to observe the central core of the Large Magellanic Cloud, R136, in the near-infrared. This challenging observation demonstrated the capabilities of SPHERE for imaging distant clusters. More than one thousand sources have been detected in Ks- and J-band images in the small field of view of IRDIS covering almost 2.7 × 3.1 pc of the core of R136. Based on isochrone fitting of the colour-magnitude diagram, ages of 1 and 1.5 Myr for the inner 3-arcsecond core and the outer core of R136 fit our data best. The mass function slope is –0.96 ± 0.22 over the mass range of 3 to 300 M. Using SPHERE data, we have gone one step further in partially resolving the core of R136, but this is certainly not the final step and higher resolution is still required.


Dates
Created: 2017-06-01/2017-06-30
Length
4 pages

Cite this article:

Khorrami, Z., Vakili, F., Lanz, T., Langlois, M., Lagadec, E., Meyer, M., Gratton, R., Beuzit, J., Mouillet, D.; Towards a Sharper Picture of R136 with SPHERE Extreme Adaptive Optics. The Messenger 168 (June 2017): 32–35. https://doi.org/10.18727/0722-6691/5023