A multi-frequency, multi-epoch radio continuum study of the Quintuplet cluster with the Very Large Array

Fuente: arXiv
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Autores principales: Cano-González, M., Schödel, R., Alberdi, A., Moldón, J., Pérez-Torres, M., Najarro, F., Gallego-Calvente, A. T.
Formato: Preprint
Publicado: 2025
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author Cano-González, M.
Schödel, R.
Alberdi, A.
Moldón, J.
Pérez-Torres, M.
Najarro, F.
Gallego-Calvente, A. T.
author_facet Cano-González, M.
Schödel, R.
Alberdi, A.
Moldón, J.
Pérez-Torres, M.
Najarro, F.
Gallego-Calvente, A. T.
contents The Quintuplet cluster, located in the Galactic centre, is one of the few young massive clusters in the Milky Way. It allows us to study dozens of massive, post main sequence stars individually, providing unique insights into the properties of the most massive stars. Our goal is to study the radio continuum emission of the most massive stars in the cluster. We carried out a total of nine observations (three in the C- and six in the X-band) of the Quintuplet cluster with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array in A-configuration. We cross-matched the detected sources with infrared stellar catalogues to ensure cluster membership, calculated their spectral indices, quantified variability, and inferred clumping-scaled mass-loss rates We present the most complete catalogue of radio stars in the Quintuplet cluster to date, with a total of 41 detections, and the deepest images of the cluster in the 4 to 12 GHz range (reaching an rms noise level of $2.3\, μ\mathrm{Jy/beam}$ in the X-band). The six year baseline of our observations allowed us to perform a robust variability assessment, finding that around $60\%$ of the Quintuplet radio-stars are variable on timescales of months to years. We derived the spectral indices of 28 out of the 41 sources. Based on their spectral indices and variability, we classify 11 of them as colliding-wind binaries, seven as strictly thermal sources, and ten as ambiguous. Including the ambiguous sources, we estimate a multiplicity fraction of ($75\pm22\%$). We also computed upper limits for the mass-loss rates of the thermal radio-stars, finding them in agreement with typical values for WNh and WC stars. Finally, we compare these results to the ones obtained from our analogous study of the Arches cluster.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2507_21617
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle A multi-frequency, multi-epoch radio continuum study of the Quintuplet cluster with the Very Large Array
Cano-González, M.
Schödel, R.
Alberdi, A.
Moldón, J.
Pérez-Torres, M.
Najarro, F.
Gallego-Calvente, A. T.
Astrophysics of Galaxies
The Quintuplet cluster, located in the Galactic centre, is one of the few young massive clusters in the Milky Way. It allows us to study dozens of massive, post main sequence stars individually, providing unique insights into the properties of the most massive stars. Our goal is to study the radio continuum emission of the most massive stars in the cluster. We carried out a total of nine observations (three in the C- and six in the X-band) of the Quintuplet cluster with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array in A-configuration. We cross-matched the detected sources with infrared stellar catalogues to ensure cluster membership, calculated their spectral indices, quantified variability, and inferred clumping-scaled mass-loss rates We present the most complete catalogue of radio stars in the Quintuplet cluster to date, with a total of 41 detections, and the deepest images of the cluster in the 4 to 12 GHz range (reaching an rms noise level of $2.3\, μ\mathrm{Jy/beam}$ in the X-band). The six year baseline of our observations allowed us to perform a robust variability assessment, finding that around $60\%$ of the Quintuplet radio-stars are variable on timescales of months to years. We derived the spectral indices of 28 out of the 41 sources. Based on their spectral indices and variability, we classify 11 of them as colliding-wind binaries, seven as strictly thermal sources, and ten as ambiguous. Including the ambiguous sources, we estimate a multiplicity fraction of ($75\pm22\%$). We also computed upper limits for the mass-loss rates of the thermal radio-stars, finding them in agreement with typical values for WNh and WC stars. Finally, we compare these results to the ones obtained from our analogous study of the Arches cluster.
title A multi-frequency, multi-epoch radio continuum study of the Quintuplet cluster with the Very Large Array
topic Astrophysics of Galaxies
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.21617