Mapping the Youngest and most Massive Stars in the Tarantula nebula and beyond

• Applicant: Dr. Norberto Castro Rodriguez, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: Astrophysics and Astronomy
• Term: since 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 445667109

Massive stars are the main chemical and dynamic engines of the Universe and key to interpreting phenomena in high-redshift galaxies. Studying the early reionization epoch and formation of the first galaxies, the rates of very luminous supernovae, gamma-ray bursts, and gravitational wave events requires understanding the most massive stars born in the Universe. Nevertheless, the formation and evolution of very massive stars are still uncertain. This lack of knowledge propagates to star formation studies in galaxies where individual stars remain unresolved, thus blurring the conclusions. It is mandatory to understand the evolution and formation of the most massive stars in the Milky Way and Local Group before moving forward to more distant galaxies. Systematic spectroscopic analyses in the most massive clusters are fundamental to addressing this problem, confirming or refuting stellar evolutionary theories. In 2020, we launched the MYMST project to chart NGC 2070, which harbors one of the most powerful star-forming regions in the Local Group and is also the closest to us, providing an optimal benchmark for scrutinizing the evolution of the most massive stars. Based on MUSE data, we spectroscopically examined the stellar content of the cluster and pierced its core, R136, using MUSE narrow-field mode's spatial resolution comparable to that of the HST. In the second phase of this project (the MYMST II), we aim to finalize the examination of R136 and study the variability of the stars and interstellar medium via additional MUSE observations and use of other instruments (e.g., JWST and ERIS). We will resolve the extend of stellar winds of the most massive Wolf-Rayet stars and investigate feedback mechanisms. We will also utilize synergies between MUSE and 4MOST to create the most comprehensive spectroscopic archaeological maps of OB stars in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram in the Magellanic Clouds. As part of the MYMST II undertaking, we will develop innovative tools to visualize and analyze the datasets, offering new, open tools for both researchers and the general public.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants