Mubdi Rahman, Dae-Sik Moon, Christopher D. Matzner
Young OB associations with masses greater than 10$^4$ M$_{\sun}$ have been
inferred to exist in the Galaxy but have largely evaded detection. Recently, a
candidate OB association has been identified within the most luminous star
forming complex in the Galaxy, the Dragonfish Nebula. We identify 18 young,
massive stars with near-infrared spectroscopy from a sample of 50 members
within the candidate OB association, including 15 O-type, and three Luminous
Blue Variables or Wolf-Rayet stars. This number matches the expected yield of
massive stars from the candidate association, confirming its existence and
ability to power the parent star forming complex. These results demonstrate the
existence of a 10$^5$ M$_{\sun}$ OB association, more powerful than any
previously known in the Galaxy, comparable in mass only to Westerlund 1.
Further, the results also validate the color selection method used to identify
the association, adding credence to others discovered in the same way.
View original:
http://arxiv.org/abs/1111.3362
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