Spatial distribution and star cluster formation of the LMC bar region

Abstract

New integrated UBV data of star clusters projected on the LMC bar region have been obtained at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (Chile) and at the Complejo Astronómico El Leóncito (Argentina). The sample includes 98 clusters, 66 of them being previously unstudied objects. Most of the observed clusters appear to be physically associated to the LMC bar. An appreciable fraction of them lie within the 0.4 ≤ (B-V) ≤ 0.6 range so that the extensively discussed gap in the B-V histogram of the LMC clusters disappears. An analysis of the spatial distribution and ages of the observed clusters supports the conclusion that a strong star forming event has occurred in the eastern part of the bar about 100 Myr ago, which as probably propagated to the western portion at the present time. The integrated UBV measurements and the detailed results obtained in this study will be published elsewhere.