Young Star Clusters in Starburst Environments 1

Recent high-resolution observations with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) reveal that young star clusters of extraordinary luminosity and compactness (“super star clusters”) are commonly found in starburst systems. Cluster formation appears to be a dominant mode of star formation in starbursts. The principal properties of the young clusters are summarized. A new ultraviolet HST imaging survey of the central regions of nearby galaxies indicates that young clusters form in a wide range of environments. Circumnuclear star-forming rings, in particular, are richly populated with clusters, and several examples from recent imaging studies are discussed. There has been much speculation that super star clusters represent present-day analogs of young globular clusters. I will present evidence suggesting that at least some super star clusters indeed have masses and mass densities comparable to those of evolved globular clusters in the Milky Way.