The HII region RCW 36 is ionised by a remarkably large and dense star cluster
[BDB2003] G265.14+01.45 that is 2-3 million years old and is embedded in the Vela Molecular Ridge Cloud C (
VMR C). The cluster has at least 350 members packed within a radius of 0.5 pc. The main ionising star for RCW 36 and the most massive cluster member,
[MLG2003] IRS 34 68, is located towards the cluster centre and has a class of O8-O9.
Avedisova places RCW 36 in star formation region
SFR 265.12+1.44 with 43 components, including 2 masers, 11 infrared sources, the globule
FeSt 2-42 and the reflection nebulae
Bran 210A-C.
The RCW 36 cluster can be seen in
this 2MASS infrared image.
The main ionising star for RCW 36 is [MLG2003] IRS 34 68.[
1]
"The RCW 36 cluster has at least 350 members and a cluster radius of 0.5 pc, and the radial profile of the stellar surface number density can be well fitted with King profiles better than with 1/r profiles. In the central 0.1 pc x 0.1 pc region of the RCW 36 cluster, the stellar surface number density is approximately 3000 stars pc−2 This is much higher than most of the young clusters within 1 kpc of the Sun." Estimated to be 2-3 million years old.[
2]
Notes
1. ^ Massi, F., Lorenzetti, D., & Giannini, T. (2003). "Star formation in the
Vela molecular clouds. V. Young stellar objects and star clusters towards
the C-cloud", Astronomy and Astrophysics, Vol. 399, 147-167.
[2003A&A...399..147M]
2. ^ Baba, D., Nagata, T., Nagayama, T., et al. (2004). "Deep Near-Infrared
Imaging toward the Vela Molecular Ridge C. I. A Remarkable Embedded Cluster
in RCW 36", The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 614, 818-826.
[2004ApJ...614..818B]