Characterizing star cluster formation with WISE: 652 newly found star clusters and candidates

Abstract

We report the discovery of 652 star clusters, stellar groups and candidates in the Milky Way with Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE). Most of the objects are projected close to Galactic plane and are embedded clusters. The present sample complements a similar study (Paper I) which provided 437 star clusters and alike. We find evidence that star formation processes span a wide range of sizes, from populous dense clusters to small compact embedded ones, sparse stellar groups or in relative isolation. The present list indicates multiple stellar generations during the embedded phase, with giant molecular clouds collapsing into several clumps composing an embedded cluster aggregate.We investigate the field star decontaminated colour-magnitude diagrams and radial density profiles of nine cluster candidates in the list, and derive their parameters, confirming them as embedded clusters.