Since most stars form in clustered environments, stellar clusters serve as an important laboratory for the study of star formation and stellar feedback.
As massive stars have short lifespans, many spend their whole lifetimes in stellar clusters, and therefore, clusters must be included when studying the effects of stellar feedback. By studying the environments around stellar clusters, we can learn more about the effects of feedback from massive stars in the environments where they are largely found.
In many cases, individual stars can not be resolved in clustered environments. In these cases, some common assumptions are made regarding the properties of the cluster, such as assuming a fully sampled IMF. This assumption, however, is inaccurate in many cases, particularly for individual clusters, where the total stellar mass is not high enough to fully sample the IMF.
I will present my work on the stellar clusters in the low mass, low metallicity, starburst galaxy NGC 1569.
By combining cluster photometry in multiple HST bandpasses, IFU data from KCWI, and simulated cluster photometry, with Bayesian statistical methods, we determine the physical properties of stellar clusters without assuming a fully sampled IMF, thereby allowing us to more accurately connect the observed feedback effects, with the stars that are to be found in the clusters.
