Paper: astro-ph/0601430
Date: Thu, 19 Jan 2006 14:53:51 GMT (286kb)

Title: Extreme superstarclusters

Authors: Paul P. van der Werf and Leonie Snijders

Comments: invited talk, to appear in proceedings of the workshop "Extreme
starbursts - near and far" in Lijiang, China, 2005; 5 pages; version with
full resolution figures can be found at

http://www.strw.leidenuniv.nl/~pvdwerf/pdf/Lijiang-VISIR.pdf
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The presence of superstarclusters is a characteristic feature of starburst
galaxies. We examine the properties of star forming regions and young star
clusters in various environments, ranging from common to extreme. We then
discuss new high spatial resolution mid-infrared imaging and spectroscopy of
extreme superstarclusters in the obscured region of the Antennae
(NGC4038-4039). We find that the PAH emission in this region is not dominated
by the superstarclusters but is mostly diffuse. Emission line ratios found in
our high spatial resolution data differ significantly from those in larger
apertures, strongly affecting the derived results.

\\ ( http://arXiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0601430 , 286kb)