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DOE OSTI2012

CHARACTERIZING THE COOL KOIs. III. KOI 961: A SMALL STAR WITH LARGE PROPER MOTION AND THREE SMALL PLANETS

We characterize the star KOI 961, an M dwarf with transit signals indicative of three short-period exoplanets discovered by the Kepler mission. We proceed by comparing KOI 961 to Barnard's Star, a nearby, well-characterized mid-M dwarf. We compare colors, optical and near-infrared spectra, and find remarkable agreement between the two, implying similar effective temperatures and metallicities. Both are metal-poor compared to the Solar neighborhood, have low projected rotational velocity, high absolute radial velocity, large proper motion, and no quiescent H{alpha} emission-all of which are consistent with being old M dwarfs. We combine empirical measurements of Barnard's Star and expectations from evolutionary isochrones to estimate KOI 961's mass (0.13 {+-} 0.05 M{sub Sun }), radius (0.17 {+-} 0.04 R{sub Sun }), and luminosity (2.40 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -3.0{+-}0.3} L{sub Sun }). We calculate KOI 961's distance (38.7 {+-} 6.3 pc) and space motions, which, like Barnard's Star, are consistent with a high scale-height population in the Milky Way. We perform an independent multi-transit fit to the public Kepler light curve and significantly revise the transit parameters for the three planets. We calculate the false-positive probability for each planet candidate, and find a less than 1% chance that any one of the transiting signals is due to a background or hierarchical eclipsing binary, validating the planetary nature of the transits. The best-fitting radii for all three planets are less than 1 R{sub Circled-Plus }, with KOI 961.03 being Mars-sized (R{sub P} = 0.57 {+-} 0.18 R{sub Circled-Plus }), and they represent some of the smallest exoplanets detected to date.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

THE M31 VELOCITY VECTOR. I. HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE PROPER-MOTION MEASUREMENTS

We present the first proper-motion (PM) measurements for the galaxy M31. We obtained new V-band imaging data with the Hubble Space Telescope ACS/WFC and the WFC3/UVIS instruments of three fields: a spheroid field near the minor axis, an outer disk field along the major axis, and a field on the Giant Southern Stream. The data provide five to seven year time baselines with respect to pre-existing deep first-epoch observations of the same fields. We measure the positions of thousands of M31 stars and hundreds of compact background galaxies in each field. High accuracy and robustness is achieved by building and fitting a unique template for each individual object. The average PM for each field is obtained from the average motion of the M31 stars between the epochs with respect to the background galaxies. For the three fields, the observed PMs ({mu}{sub W}, {mu}{sub N}) are, in units of mas yr{sup -1}, (- 0.0458, -0.0376) {+-} (0.0165, 0.0154), (- 0.0533, -0.0104) {+-} (0.0246, 0.0244), and (- 0.0179, -0.0357) {+-} (0.0278, 0.0272), respectively. The ability to average over large numbers of objects and over the three fields yields a final displacement accuracy of a few thousandths of a pixel, corresponding to only 12 {mu}as yr{sup -1}. This is comparable to what has been achieved for other Local Group galaxies using Very Long Baseline Array observations of water masers. Potential systematic errors are controlled by an analysis strategy that corrects for detector charge transfer inefficiency, spatially and time-dependent geometric distortion, and point-spread function variations. The robustness of the PM measurements and uncertainties are supported by the fact that data from different instruments, taken at different times and with different telescope orientations, as well as measurements of different fields, all yield statistically consistent results. Papers II and III of this series explore the implications of the new measurements for our understanding of the history, future, and mass of the Local Group.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

A PROPER MOTION STUDY OF THE HARO 6-10 OUTFLOW: EVIDENCE FOR A SUBARCSECOND BINARY

We present single-dish and very long baseline interferometry observations of an outburst of water maser emission from the young binary system Haro 6-10. Haro 6-10 lies in the Taurus molecular cloud and contains a visible T Tauri star with an infrared companion 1.''3 north. Using the Very Long Baseline Array, we obtained five observations spanning three months and derived absolute positions for 20 distinct maser spots. Three of the masers can be traced over three or more epochs, enabling us to extract absolute proper motions and tangential velocities. We deduce that the masers represent one side of a bipolar outflow that lies nearly in the plane of the sky with an opening angle of {approx}45 Degree-Sign . They are located within 50 mas of the southern component of the binary, the visible T Tauri star Haro 6-10S. The mean position angle on the sky of the maser proper motions ({approx}220 Degree-Sign ) suggests they are related to the previously observed giant Herbig-Haro (HH) flow which includes HH 410, HH 411, HH 412, and HH 184A-E. A previously observed HH jet and extended radio continuum emission (mean position angle of {approx}190 Degree-Sign ) must also originate in the vicinity of Haro 6-10S and represent a second, distinct outflow in this region. We propose that a yet unobserved companion within 150 mas of Haro 6-10S is responsible for the giant HH/maser outflow while the visible star is associated with the HH jet. Despite the presence of H{sub 2} emission in the spectrum of the northern component of the binary, Haro 6-10N, none of outflows/jets can be tied directly to this young stellar object.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

COMMON PROPER-MOTION WIDE WHITE DWARF BINARIES SELECTED FROM THE SLOAN DIGITAL SKY SURVEY

Wide binaries made up of two white dwarfs (WDs) receive far less attention than their tight counterparts. However, our tests using the binary population synthesis code StarTrack indicate that, for any set of reasonable initial conditions, there exists a significant observable population of double white dwarfs (WDWDs) with orbital separations of 10{sup 2}-10{sup 5} AU. We adapt the technique of Dhital et al. to search for candidate common proper-motion WD companions separated by <10' around the >12,000 spectroscopically confirmed hydrogen-atmosphere WDs recently identified in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Using two techniques to separate random alignments from high-confidence pairs, we find nine new high-probability wide WDWDs and confirm three previously identified candidate wide WDWDs. This brings the number of known wide WDWDs to 45; our new pairs are a significant addition to the sample, especially at small proper motions (<200 mas yr{sup -1}) and large angular separations (>10''). Spectroscopic follow-up and an extension of this method to a larger, photometrically selected set of SDSS WDs may eventually produce a large enough dataset for WDWDs to realize their full potential as testbeds for theories of stellar evolution.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

THE VELOCITY ANISOTROPY OF DISTANT MILKY WAY HALO STARS FROM HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE PROPER MOTIONS

Based on long baseline (5-7 years) multi-epoch HST/ACS photometry, used previously to measure the proper motion of M31, we present the proper motions (PMs) of 13 main-sequence Milky Way halo stars. The sample lies at an average distance of r {approx_equal} 24 kpc from the Galactic center, with a root-mean-square spread of 6 kpc. At this distance, the median PM accuracy is 5 km s{sup -1}. We devise a maximum likelihood routine to determine the tangential velocity ellipsoid of the stellar halo. The velocity second moments in the directions of the Galactic (l, b) system are {sup 1/2}= 123{sup +29}{sub -23} km s{sup -1}, and {sup 1/2}= 83{sup +24}{sub -16} km s{sup -1}. We combine these results with the known line-of-sight second moment, {sup 1/2}= 105{+-}5 km s{sup -1}, at this (r) to study the velocity anisotropy of the halo. We find approximate isotropy between the radial and tangential velocity distributions, with anisotropy parameter {beta}= 0.0{sup +0.2}{sub -0.4}. Our results suggest that the stellar halo velocity anisotropy out to r {approx} 30 kpc is less radially biased than solar neighborhood measurements. This is opposite to what is expected from violent relaxation, and may indicate the presence of a shell-type structure at r {approx} 24 kpc. With additional multi-epoch HST data, the method presented here has the ability to measure the transverse kinematics of the halo for more stars, and to larger distances. This can yield new improved constraints on the stellar halo formation mechanism, and the mass of the Milky Way.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

THE SPACE MOTION OF LEO I: THE MASS OF THE MILKY WAY'S DARK MATTER HALO

We combine our Hubble Space Telescope measurement of the proper motion of the Leo I dwarf spheroidal galaxy (presented in a companion paper) with the highest resolution numerical simulations of Galaxy-size dark matter halos in existence to constrain the mass of the Milky Way's dark matter halo (M{sub vir,MW}). Despite Leo I's large Galactocentric space velocity (200 km s{sup -1}) and distance (261 kpc), we show that it is extremely unlikely to be unbound if Galactic satellites are associated with dark matter substructure, as 99.9% of subhalos in the simulations are bound to their host. The observed position and velocity of Leo I strongly disfavor a low-mass Milky Way: if we assume that Leo I is the least bound of the Milky Way's classical satellites, then we find that M{sub vir,MW} > 10{sup 12} M{sub Sun} at 95% confidence for a variety of Bayesian priors on M{sub vir,MW}. In lower mass halos, it is vanishingly rare to find subhalos at 261 kpc moving as fast as Leo I. Should an additional classical satellite be found to be less bound than Leo I, this lower limit on M{sub vir,MW} would increase by 30%. Imposing a mass-weighted {Lambda}CDM prior, we find a median Milky Way virial mass of M{sub vir,MW} = 1.6 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 12} M{sub Sun }, with a 90% confidence interval of [1.0-2.4] Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 12} M{sub Sun }. We also confirm a strong correlation between subhalo infall time and orbital energy in the simulations and show that proper motions can aid significantly in interpreting the infall times and orbital histories of satellites.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

DIFFERENTIAL PROPER-MOTION MEASUREMENTS OF THE CYGNUS EGG NEBULA: THE PRESENCE OF EQUATORIAL OUTFLOWS

We present the results of differential proper-motion analyses of the Egg Nebula (RAFGL 2688, V1610 Cyg) based on the archived two-epoch optical data taken with the Hubble Space Telescope. First, we determined that the polarization characteristics of the Egg Nebula are influenced by the higher optical depth of the central regions of the nebula (i.e., the 'dustsphere' of {approx}10{sup 3} AU radius), causing the nebula to illuminate in two steps-the direct starlight is first channeled into bipolar cavities and then scattered off to the rest of the nebula. We then measured the amount of motion of local structures and the signature concentric arcs by determining their relative shifts over the 7.25 yr interval. Based on our analysis, which does not rely on the single-scattering assumption, we concluded that the lobes have been excavated by a linear expansion along the bipolar axis for the past {approx}400 yr, while the concentric arcs have been generated continuously and moving out radially at about 10 km s{sup -1} for the past {approx}5500 yr, and there appears to be a colatitudinally increasing trend in the radial expansion velocity field of the concentric arcs. Numerical investigations into the mass-loss modulation by the central binary system exist, which predict such a colatitudinally increasing expansion velocity field in the spiral-shock trails of the mass-loss ejecta. Therefore, the Egg Nebula may represent a rare edge-on case of the binary-modulated circumstellar environs, corroborating the previous theoretical predictions.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

DISCOVERY OF FOUR HIGH PROPER MOTION L DWARFS, INCLUDING A 10 pc L DWARF AT THE L/T TRANSITION {sup ,}

We discover four high proper motion L dwarfs by comparing the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) to the Two Micron All Sky Survey. WISE J140533.32+835030.5 is an L dwarf at the L/T transition with a proper motion of 0.85 ± 0.''02 yr{sup –1}, previously overlooked due to its proximity to a bright star (V ≈ 12 mag). From optical spectroscopy we find a spectral type of L8, and from moderate-resolution J band spectroscopy we find a near-infrared spectral type of L9. We find WISE J140533.32+835030.5 to have a distance of 9.7 ± 1.7 pc, bringing the number of L dwarfs at the L/T transition within 10 pc from six to seven. WISE J040137.21+284951.7, WISE J040418.01+412735.6, and WISE J062442.37+662625.6 are all early L dwarfs within 25 pc, and were classified using optical and low-resolution near-infrared spectra. WISE J040418.01+412735.6 is an L2 pec (red) dwarf, a member of the class of unusually red L dwarfs. We use follow-up optical and low-resolution near-infrared spectroscopy to classify a previously discovered fifth object WISEP J060738.65+242953.4 as an (L8 Opt/L9 NIR), confirming it as an L dwarf at the L/T transition within 10 pc. WISEP J060738.65+242953.4 shows tentative CH{sub 4} in the H band, possibly the result of unresolved binarity with an early T dwarf, a scenario not supported by binary spectral template fitting. If WISEP J060738.65+242953.4 is a single object, it represents the earliest onset of CH{sub 4} in the H band of an L/T transition dwarf in the SpeX Library. As very late L dwarfs within 10 pc, WISE J140533.32+835030.5 and WISEP J060738.65+242953.4 will play a vital role in resolving outstanding issues at the L/T transition.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

VLBI FOR GRAVITY PROBE B. III. A LIMIT ON THE PROPER MOTION OF THE 'CORE' OF THE QUASAR 3C 454.3

We made very long baseline interferometry observations at 8.4 GHz between 1997 and 2005 to estimate the coordinates of the 'core' component of the superluminal quasar, 3C 454.3, the ultimate reference point in the distant universe for the NASA/Stanford Gyroscope Relativity Mission, Gravity Probe B (GP-B). These coordinates are determined relative to those of the brightness peaks of two other compact extragalactic sources, B2250+194 and B2252+172, nearby on the sky, and within a celestial reference frame (CRF), defined by a large suite of compact extragalactic radio sources, and nearly identical to the International Celestial Reference Frame 2 (ICRF2). We find that B2250+194 and B2252+172 are stationary relative to each other, and also in the CRF, to within 1{sigma} upper limits of 15 and 30 {mu}as yr{sup -1} in {alpha} and {delta}, respectively. The core of 3C 454.3 appears to jitter in its position along the jet direction over {approx}0.2 mas, likely due to activity close to the putative supermassive black hole nearby, but on average is stationary in the CRF within 1{sigma} upper limits on its proper motion of 39 {mu}as yr{sup -1} (1.0c) and 30 {mu}as yr{sup -1} (0.8c) in {alpha} and {delta}, respectively, for the period 2002-2005. Our corresponding limit over the longer interval, 1998-2005, of more importance to GP-B, is 46 and 56 {mu}as yr{sup -1} in {alpha} and {delta}, respectively. Some of 3C 454.3's jet components show significantly superluminal motion with speeds of up to {approx}200 {mu}as yr{sup -1} or 5c in the CRF. The core of 3C 454.3 thus provides for GP-B a sufficiently stable reference in the distant universe.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Imaging electron motion in graphene

A cooled scanning probe microscope (SPM) is an ideal tool to image electronic motion in graphene: the SPM tip acts as a scanning gate, which interacts with the electron gas below. We introduce the technique using our group's previous work on imaging electron flow from a quantum point contact in a GaAs 2DEG and tuning an InAs quantum dot in an InAs/InP nanowire. Carriers in graphene have very different characteristics: electrons and holes travel at a constant speed with no bandgap, and they pass through potential barriers via Klein tunneling. In this paper, we review the extension of SPM imaging techniques to graphene. We image the cyclotron orbits passing between two narrow contacts in a single-atomic-layer graphene device in a perpendicular magnetic field. Magnetic focusing produces a peak in transmission between the contacts when the cyclotron diameter is equal to the contact spacing. The charged SPM tip deflects electrons passing from one contact to the other, changing the transmission when it interrupts the flow. By displaying the change in transmission as the tip is raster scanned above the sample, an image of flow is obtained. In addition, we have developed a complementary technique to image electronic charge using a cooled scanning capacitance microscope (SCM) that uses a sensitive charge preamplifier near the SPM tip to achieve a charge noise level 0.13 e Hz -1/2 with high spatial resolution 100 nm. The cooled SPM and SCM can be used to probe the motion of electrons on the nanoscale in graphene devices.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

OPTICAL PROPER MOTION MEASUREMENTS OF THE M87 JET: NEW RESULTS FROM THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE

We report new results from a Hubble Space Telescope archival program to study proper motions in the optical jet of the nearby radio galaxy M87. Using over 13 yr of archival imaging, we reach accuracies below 0.1c in measuring the apparent velocities of individual knots in the jet. We confirm previous findings of speeds up to 4.5c in the inner 6'' of the jet, and report new speeds for optical components in the outer part of the jet. We find evidence of significant motion transverse to the jet axis on the order of 0.6c in the inner jet features, and superluminal velocities parallel and transverse to the jet in the outer knot components, with an apparent ordering of velocity vectors possibly consistent with a helical jet pattern. Previous results suggested a global deceleration over the length of the jet in the form of decreasing maximum speeds of knot components from HST-1 outward, but our results suggest that superluminal speeds persist out to knot C, with large differentials in very nearby features all along the jet. We find significant apparent accelerations in directions parallel and transverse to the jet axis, along with evidence for stationary features in knots D, E, and I. These results are expected to place important constraints on detailed models of kiloparsec-scale relativistic jets.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2018

From deep TLS validation to ensembles of atomic models built from elemental motions. II. Analysis of TLS refinement results by explicit interpretation

TLS modelling was developed by Schomaker and Trueblood to describe atomic displacement parameters through concerted (rigid-body) harmonic motions of an atomic group [Schomaker & Trueblood (1968), Acta Cryst. B24, 63–76]. The results of a TLS refinement are T, L and S matrices that provide individual anisotropic atomic displacement parameters (ADPs) for all atoms belonging to the group. These ADPs can be calculated analytically using a formula that relates the elements of the TLS matrices to atomic parameters. Alternatively, ADPs can be obtained numerically from the parameters of concerted atomic motions corresponding to the TLS matrices. Both procedures are expected to produce the same ADP values and therefore can be used to assess the results of TLS refinement. Here, the implementation of this approach in PHENIX is described and several illustrations, including the use of all models from the PDB that have been subjected to TLS refinement, are provided.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

Determination of functional collective motions in a protein at atomic resolution using coherent neutron scattering

Protein function often depends on global, collective internal motions. However, the simultaneous quantitative experimental determination of the forms, amplitudes, and time scales of these motions has remained elusive. We demonstrate that a complete description of these large-scale dynamic modes can be obtained using coherent neutron-scattering experiments on perdeuterated samples. With this approach, a microscopic relationship between the structure, dynamics, and function in a protein, cytochrome P450cam, is established. The approach developed here should be of general applicability to protein systems.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

The Dynamics of Large-Amplitude Motion in Energized Molecules

Chemical reactions involve large-amplitude nuclear motion along the reaction coordinate that serves to distinguish reactants from products. Some reactions, such as roaming reactions and reactions proceeding through a loose transition state, involve more than one large-amplitude degree of freedom. Because of the limitation of exact quantum nuclear dynamics to small systems, one must, in general, define the active degrees of freedom and separate them in some way from the other degrees of freedom. In this project, we use large-amplitude motion in bound model systems to investigate the coupling of large-amplitude degrees of freedom to other nuclear degrees of freedom. This approach allows us to use the precision and power of high-resolution molecular spectroscopy to probe the specific coupling mechanisms involved, and to apply the associated theoretical tools. In addition to slit-jet spectra at the University of Akron, the current project period has involved collaboration with Michel Herman and Nathalie Vaeck of the Université Libre de Bruxelles, and with Brant Billinghurst at the Canadian Light Source (CLS).

02 PETROLEUM↗
DOE OSTI2023

Real Space and Time Imaging of Collective Headgroup Dipole Motions in Zwitterionic Lipid Bilayers

Lipid bilayers are supramolecular structures responsible for a range of processes, such as transmembrane transport of ions and solutes, and sorting and replication of genetic materials, to name just a few. Some of these processes are transient and currently, cannot be visualized in real space and time. Here, we developed an approach using 1D, 2D, and 3D Van Hove correlation functions to image collective headgroup dipole motions in zwitterionic phospholipid bilayers. We show that both 2D and 3D spatiotemporal images of headgroup dipoles are consistent with commonly understood dynamic features of fluids. However, analysis of the 1D Van Hove function reveals lateral transient and re-emergent collective dynamics of the headgroup dipoles—occurring at picosecond time scales—that transmit and dissipate heat at longer times, due to relaxation processes. At the same time, the headgroup dipoles also generate membrane surface undulations due a collective tilting of the headgroup dipoles. A continuous intensity band of headgroup dipole spatiotemporal correlations—at nanometer length and nanosecond time scales—indicates that dipoles undergo stretching and squeezing elastic deformations. Importantly, the above mentioned intrinsic headgroup dipole motions can be externally stimulated at GHz-frequency scale, enhancing their flexoelectric and piezoelectric capabilities (i.e., increased conversion efficiency of mechanical energy into electric energy). In conclusion, we discuss how lipid membranes can provide molecular-level insights about biological learning and memory, and as platforms for the development of the next generation of neuromorphic computers.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2017

A DEEP PROPER MOTION CATALOG WITHIN THE SLOAN DIGITAL SKY SURVEY FOOTPRINT. II. THE WHITE DWARF LUMINOSITY FUNCTION

A catalog of 8472 white dwarf (WD) candidates is presented, selected using reduced proper motions from the deep proper motion catalog of Munn et al. Candidates are selected in the magnitude range 16<r<21.5 over 980 square degrees, and 16<r<21.3 over an additional 1276 square degrees, within the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) imaging footprint. Distances, bolometric luminosities, and atmospheric compositions are derived by fitting SDSS ugriz photometry to pure hydrogen and helium model atmospheres (assuming surface gravities log g=8). The disk white dwarf luminosity function (WDLF) is constructed using a sample of 2839 stars with 5.5<M{sub bol}<17, with statistically significant numbers of stars cooler than the turnover in the luminosity function. The WDLF for the halo is also constructed, using a sample of 135 halo WDs with 5<M{sub bol}<16. We find space densities of disk and halo WDs in the solar neighborhood of 5.5±0.1×10{sup −3} pc{sup −3} and 3.5±0.7×10{sup −5} pc{sup −3}, respectively. We resolve the bump in the disk WDLF due to the onset of fully convective envelopes in WDs, and see indications of it in the halo WDLF as well.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Radial Velocities, Space Motions, and Nearby Young Moving Group Memberships of Eleven Candidate Young Brown Dwarfs

We present new radial velocity (RV) measurements for 11 candidate young very-low-mass stars and brown dwarfs, with spectral types from M7 to L7. Candidate young objects were identified by features indicative of low surface gravity in their optical and/or near-infrared spectra. RV measurements are derived from high-resolution (R =λ/Δλ = 20,000) J-band spectra taken with NIRSPEC at the Keck Observatory. We combine RVs with proper motions and trigonometric distances to calculate three-dimensional space positions and motions and to evaluate membership probabilities for nearby young moving groups (NYMGs). We propose 2MASS J00452143+1634446 (L2β, J = 13.06) as an RV standard given the precision and stability of measurements from three different studies. We test the precision and accuracy of our RV measurements as a function of spectral type of the comparison object, finding that RV results are essentially indistinguishable even with differences of ±5 spectral subtypes. We also investigate the strengths of gravity-sensitive K i lines at 1.24–1.25 μm and evaluate their consistency with other age indicators. We confirm or reconfirm four brown dwarf members of NYMGs—2MASS J00452143+1634446, WISE J00470038+6803543, 2MASS J011747483403258, and 2MASS J193555952846343—and their previous age estimates. We identify one new brown dwarf member of the Carina-Near moving group, 2M2154−10. The remaining objects do not appear to be members of any known NYMGs, despite their spectral signatures of youth. These results add to the growing number of very-low-mass objects exhibiting signatures of youth that lack likely membership in a known NYMG, thereby compounding the mystery regarding local, low-density star formation.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

The Young Massive Star Cluster Westerlund 2 Observed with MUSE. III. A Cluster in Motion—The Complex Internal Dynamics

Analyzing the dynamical state of nearby young massive star clusters is essential for understanding star cluster formation and evolution during their earliest stages. In this work we analyze the stellar and gas kinematics of the young massive star cluster Westerlund 2 (Wd2) using data from the integral field unit Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) and complement them with proper motions from the Gaia DR2. The mean gas radial velocity of 15.9 km s{sup −1} agrees with the assumption that Wd2 is the result of a cloud–cloud collision. The gas motions show the expansion of the H ii region, driven by the radiation from the many OB stars in the cluster center. The velocity profile of the cluster member stars reveals an increasing velocity dispersion with decreasing stellar mass and that the low-mass stars show five distinct velocity groups. Based on their spatial correlation with the cluster’s two clumps, we concluded that this is the imprint of the initial cloud collapse that formed Wd2. A thorough analysis of the dynamical state of Wd2, which determines a dynamical mass range of M {sub dyn,Wd2} = (7.5 ± 1.9) × 10{sup 4} − (4.4 ± 1.1) × 10{sup 5} M {sub ⊙} and exceeds the photometric mass by at least a factor of two, leads to the conclusion that Wd2 is not massive enough to remain gravitationally bound. Additionally we also identify 22 runaway candidates with peculiar velocities between 30 and 546 km s{sup −1}.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗