Embedded Clusters in the Large Magellanic Cloud Using the VISTA
  Magellanic Clouds Survey
  We present initial results of the first large scale survey of embedded star
clusters in molecular clouds in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) using
near-infrared (NIR) imaging from the VISTA Magellanic Clouds Survey (Cioni et
al. 2011). We have explored a ~1.65 square degree area of the LMC, which
contains the well-known star-forming region 30 Doradus as well as ~14 percent
of the galaxy's CO clouds (Wong et al. 2011), and have identified 67 embedded
cluster candidates, 45 of which are newly discovered as clusters. We have
determined sizes, luminosities and masses for these embedded clusters, examined
the star formation rates (SFRs) of their corresponding molecular clouds, and
made a comparison between the LMC and the Milky Way. Our preliminary results
indicate that embedded clusters in the LMC are generally larger, more luminous
and more massive than those in the local Milky Way. We also find that the
surface densities of both embedded clusters and molecular clouds is ~3 times
higher than in our local environment, the embedded cluster mass surface density
is ~40 times higher, the SFR is ~20 times higher, and the star formation
efficiency is ~10 times higher. Despite these differences, the SFRs of the LMC
molecular clouds are consistent with the SFR scaling law presented in Lada et
al. (2012). This consistency indicates that while the conditions of embedded
cluster formation may vary between environments, the overall process within
molecular clouds may be universal.
