JHKs photometry in N159 (LMC)

Using JHK near-infrared photometry obtained at the ESO VLT with the ISAAC camera, we examine the stellar populations associated with the Papillon, tracing their history using stellar evolution models. Two populations are revealed: one composed of young, massive stars with an age ~3Myr, and a second consisting of older lower mass stars of age spreading between 1 and 10Gyr.

We analyze the properties of those populations and discuss their significance in the context of N 159. We also estimate that if the star at the center of the Papillon is single its initial mass is ~50 solar masses and it is affected by an extinction Av~7mag.