MYStIX: Massive Young Stellar Cluster Study in Infrared and X-Rays

The Massive Young Stellar Cluster Study in Infrared and X-rays (MYStIX) is a project to develop a new census of pre-main sequence and OB members of ∼ 20 star clusters associated with giant molecular clouds. The census is based on archived observations obtained with NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, UKIRT’s UKIDSS Galactic plane survey, and NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope. With advanced data analysis techniques and probabilistic algorithms to reduce contaminants such as field stars, we obtain the richest available census of cluster members. In addition, source-free X-ray images show 10⁷ K plasma from shocked OB winds interacting with cold interstellar environments. MYStIX will address a variety of questions concerning the formation and early evolution of rich stellar clusters.

The MYStIX project is centered at Pennsylvania State University with the support of Chandra ACIS Team contract SV-74018, NSF AST-0809038, and NASA NNX09AC74G. Critical work is conducted at University of Exeter by Tim Naylor.

Authors and Affiliations

1. Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, Pennsylvania State University, 525 Davey Laboratory, University Park, PA, 16802, USA

   Eric D. Feigelson

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Eric D. Feigelson .

Editors and Affiliations

1. Jeremiah Horrocks Institute for Mathematics, Physics and Astronomy, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, United Kingdom

   Dimitris Stamatellos

2. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom

   Simon Goodwin

3. Jeremiah Horrocks Institute for Mathematics, Physics and Astronomy, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, United Kingdom

   Derek Ward-Thompson

Reprints and permissions

© 2014 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

Policies and ethics