Abstract We present a Bayesian analysis of star clusters in the dwarf starburst galaxy NGC 1569 based on high-resolution Hubble Space Telescope imaging combined with integral-field spectroscopy from the Keck Cosmic Web Imager, obtained as part of the DUVET survey. For each cluster identified, we infer posterior probability distributions for mass and age using a forward modelling method that properly accounts for uncertainties due to stochastic sampling of the IMF. We investigate how the inferred properties depend on photometric coverage by repeating the analysis with different filter combinations, including mock extensions to the ultraviolet and near-infrared that emulate the addition of HST UV bands and James Webb Space Telescope imaging. We find that, while inclusion of these wavelength regimes further breaks age and mass degeneracies, the currently available data yields reasonably strong constraints on cluster parameters. We compare inferred cluster properties to the conditions of the local interstellar medium, and find evidence for multiple interesting correlations. The truncation mass of the cluster mass function varies with galactocentric distance, particularly moving off the disk, consistent with a dependence on the density of the interstellar medium. Cluster mass positively correlates with metallicity, suggesting that massive clusters preferentially form in pre-enriched gas, and the ionisation state of the gas, reflecting the increased prevalence of high-mass stars in high-mass clusters. These results demonstrate the power of Bayesian, initial mass function-aware modelling for resolving cluster populations in nearby starburst dwarfs and provide new insight into how cluster formation and feedback respond to local galactic conditions.
Björgvinsson et al. (Wed,) studied this question.
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