A Comprehensive Look at LH72 in the Context of Supergiant Shell LMC-4

Abstract

Stellar spectroscopy, UBV photometry, H$\alpha$ imaging, and analysis of data from the ATCA \ion{H}{1} survey of the LMC are combined in a study of the LMC OB association LH 72 and its surroundings. LH 72 lies on the rim of a previously identified \ion{H}{1} shell, SGS-14, and in the interior of LMC-4, one of the LMC's largest known supergiant shells. Our analysis of the \ion{H}{1} data finds that SGS-14 is expanding with velocity $v_{exp}\sim15$ km s$^{-1}$, giving it an expansion age of $\sim$15 Myr. Through the stellar spectroscopy and photometry, we find similar ages for the oldest stars of LH 72, $\sim15-$30 Myr. We confirm that LH 72 contains an age spread of $\sim15-$30 Myr, similar to the range in ages of stars derived for the entire surrounding supergiant shell. Combining analysis of the O and B stars with H$\alpha$ imaging of the \ion{H}{2} region DEM 228, we find that DEM 228 accounts for only 60% of the available ionizing Lyman continuum photons. Comparing the distribution of ionized gas with that of the \ion{H}{1}, we find that DEM 228 and LH 72 are offset by $\sim1-2\arcmin$ from the peak 21-cm emission, towards the interior of SGS-14. Taken together, these results imply that SGS-14 has cleared its interior of gas and triggered the formation of LH 72. On the basis of our results, we suggest that LMC-4 was not formed as unit but by overlapping shells such as SGS-14, and that LH 72 will evolve to produce a stellar arc similar to others seen within LMC-4.