EDP Sciences Journals List
Advanced Search
Subscriber Authentication Point
Home All issues Volume 469/2 Article
Free access article

Issue A&A
Volume 469, Number 2, July II 2007
Page(s) 459 - 469
Section Extragalactic astronomy
DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20066926



A&A 469, 459-469 (2007)
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:20066926

VLT/NACO near-infrared imaging and spectroscopy of N159-5 in the LMC HII complex N159

G. Testor1, J. L. Lemaire2, L. E. Kristensen2, D. Field3, and S. Diana2

1  LUTH, UMR 8102 du CNRS, Observatoire de Paris, 92195 Meudon, France
    e-mail: gerard.testor@obspm.fr
2  LERMA, UMR 8112 du CNRS, Observatoire de Paris, 92195 Meudon, and Université de Cergy-Pontoise, 95031 Cergy Cedex, France
    e-mail: jean-louis.lemaire@obspm.fr
3  Department of Physics and Astronomy, Århus University, 8000 Århus C, Denmark
    e-mail: dfield@phys.au.dk

(Received 13 December 2006 / Accepted 14 March 2007)

Abstract
We present high-resolution near-infrared imaging of the compact HII region N159-5 and its immediate environment in the giant-star forming region N159 in the LMC. N159-5 was observed at high spatial resolution ~0$\farcs$11-0$\farcs$25 in the K-band using the ESO Very Large Telescope UT4 (VLT), equipped with the NAOS adaptive optics system. Our data reveal that N159-5 has a complex morphology formed mainly by two wings and probably a single central bright star, embedded in diffuse emission of ~4$\farcs$5 diameter. A remarkable embedded tight cluster of approximatively the same size, containing at least 38 faint stars coinciding with N159-5, is also detected. Such clusters can be found in galactic HII regions like the star-forming regions SH2 269 or M42. At the location of the radio peak, especially in the bright western wing, this cluster is rich in stars. Spectroscopic observations reveal that the diffuse region is constituted mainly of dust continuum and that the bright star $\char93 $2-55 could be of type O8 V. A comparison with the radio observation flux of N159-5 published in the literature seems to show that the bright star $\char93 $2-55 is not the only ionization source of N159-5. Towards N159-5 molecular H2 emission is detected. A model of the region is proposed.


Key words: galaxies: Magellanic Clouds -- ISM: individual objects: N159-5 -- stars: formation



© ESO 2007


What is OpenURL?

The OpenURL standard is a protocol for transmission of metadata describing the resource that you wish to access. An OpenURL link contains article metadata and directs it to the OpenURL server of your choice. The OpenURL server can provide access to the resource and also offer complementary services (specific search engine, export of references...). The OpenURL link can be generated by different means.
  • If your librarian has set up your subscription with an OpenURL resolver, OpenURL links appear automatically on the abstract pages.
  • You can define your own OpenURL resolver with your EDPS Account. In this case your choice will be given priority over that of your library.
  • You can use an add-on for your browser (Firefox or I.E.) to display OpenURL links on a page (see http://www.openly.com/openurlref/). You should disable this module if you wish to use the OpenURL server that you or your library have defined.