Hierarchical star formation from the time–space distribution of star clusters in the Large Magellanic Cloud |
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| Authors: | Yuri N Efremov & Bruce G Elmegreen |
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| Institution: | MSU, P.K.Sternberg Astronomical Institute, Moscow 119899, Russia,;IBM Research Division, T.J. Watson Research Center, PO Box 218, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598, USA |
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| Abstract: | The average age difference between pairs of star clusters in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) increases with their separation as the ～ 0.35 power. This suggests that star formation is hierarchical in space and in time. Small regions form stars quickly and large regions, which often contain the small regions, form stars over a longer period. A similar result found previously for Cepheid variables is statistically less certain than the cluster result. |
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| Keywords: | turbulence stars: formation Magellanic Clouds galaxies: star clusters |
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