Embedded clusters are ideal laboratories for understanding the early phase of the dynamical evolution of clusters as well as massive star formation. An interesting observational phenomenon is that some of the embedded clusters show mass segregation, i.e., the most massive stars are preferentially found near the cluster center. We develop a new approach to describe mass segregation. Using this approach and the Two Micron All Sky Survey Point Source Catalog (2MASS PSC), we analyze 18 embedded clusters in the Galaxy. We find that 11 of them are mass-segregated and that the others are not mass-segregated. No inversely mass-segregated cluster is found.
open clusters and associations: general — stars: formation — methods: data analysis
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