LH 95 is a modestly sized
in the
Large Magellanic Cloud
The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), or Nubecula Major, is a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way. At a distance of around 50 kiloparsecs (≈160,000 light-years), the LMC is the second- or third-closest galaxy to the Milky Way, after the ...
. It is related to the
HII-region LHA 120-N 55, that is, a region of hydrogen ionized by the bright stars of LH 95.
Previously only young bright stars were known in this stellar association. Imaging using the
Hubble Space Telescope
The Hubble Space Telescope (often referred to as HST or Hubble) is a space telescope that was launched into low Earth orbit in 1990 and remains in operation. It was not the first space telescope, but it is one of the largest and most versa ...
, however, allowed the identification of more than 2,500
pre–main sequence star
A pre-main-sequence star (also known as a PMS star and PMS object) is a star in the stage when it has not yet reached the main sequence. Earlier in its life, the object is a protostar that grows by acquiring mass from its surrounding envelope of ...
s with masses down to about 0.3 solar masses, thereby giving a detailed picture of what a typical stellar association in the LMC looks like.
The large sample of low-mass
pre–main sequence star
A pre-main-sequence star (also known as a PMS star and PMS object) is a star in the stage when it has not yet reached the main sequence. Earlier in its life, the object is a protostar that grows by acquiring mass from its surrounding envelope of ...
s, stars that are currently under formation, in LH 95 allows the construction of the first most complete
Initial Mass Function
In astronomy, the initial mass function (IMF) is an empirical function that describes the initial Frequency distribution, distribution of masses for a population of stars. The IMF is an output of the process of star formation. The IMF is often g ...
of an extragalactic star forming cluster.
[Da Rio, Nicola; Gouliermis, Dimitrios A.; Henning, Thomas, "]
The Complete Initial Mass Function Down to the Subsolar Regime in the Large Magellanic Cloud with Hubble Space Telescope ACS Observations
'", ''The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 696, Issue 1, pp. 528-545 (2009
ArXiv preprint
' The
Initial Mass Function
In astronomy, the initial mass function (IMF) is an empirical function that describes the initial Frequency distribution, distribution of masses for a population of stars. The IMF is an output of the process of star formation. The IMF is often g ...
of LH 95 does not seem to differ from that typical for the Milky Way.
See also
*
Star
A star is an astronomical object comprising a luminous spheroid of plasma (physics), plasma held together by its gravity. The List of nearest stars and brown dwarfs, nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked ...
*
Stellar nurseries
References
External links
Large and small stars in harmonious coexistence
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:LH 95
Large Magellanic Cloud
Open clusters
Star-forming regions
Dorado