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Analysis reveals clustering and associations between OB clusters and giant molecular clouds in M31, indicating star formation dynamics.
We present a new catalog of 578 OB cluster (OBC) candidates in the Andromeda galaxy (M31), identified using a MeanShift-based algorithm on HST’s F275W-band imaging from the PHAT and PHAST Hubble surveys. These clusters exhibit typical half-light radii of 1–2 parsecs and strong ultraviolet luminosities indicative of recent massive star formation. Spatial analysis reveals a pronounced north–south asymmetry: clusters in the northern disk show tight associations with giant molecular clouds (GMCs), while southern clusters appear more compact and luminous but less correlated with molecular gas. Two-point correlation functions demonstrate significant clustering of OBC candidates on scales 100 pc and a strong spatial association with GMCs, consistent with hierarchical star formation in dense gas-rich environments. These findings offer new constraints on the early evolution and feedback-driven dispersal of young stellar clusters across galactic disks.
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Liang et al. (2025) studied this question.
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