"The hidden population of galactic Super Star Clusters" by Simon Clark, Open University

Young massive stellar clusters with masses from 10^4 to 10^7 Msun are common features of external starburst galaxies but had been thought to be absent from our Galaxy, potentially implying that star formation has occurred via a different process. However, the development of near-IR observational techniques over the last decade has allowed a hidden population of such 'Super Star Clusters' to be discovered in the Milky Way. In this talk I review this topic, highlighting the progress made, the basic physical properties of these clusters and also their potential as astrophysical laboratories.

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