Program: GS-2022B-Q-136

We propose to follow up our successful pilot program to use the high spatial resolution provided by GeMS+GSAOI to obtain deep J,H,K-bands images of nearby and low metallicity star-forming galaxies. The aim is to resolve the individual starburst, determine the ages and masses of the individual Super Star Clusters, and to study the properties of both the young and the underlying stellar populations. By characterizing the starburst and the host galaxy we will put constraints on the mechanisms that trigger intense starbursts in these low mass galaxies. The lowest metallicity star-forming galaxies are of particular interest, for they are the least evolved, simplest starbursts in galactic scales that can be studied in detail in the local universe. In addition, their star formation rates for their masses mimic those expected for primeval galaxies, making them excellent laboratories for our understanding of early galaxy formation. High-resolution observations in the near-IR are critical for investigating the properties of young star-forming regions as they evolve from their dusty proto-clouds before fully emerging in optical wavelengths. In the near-IR these star forming clumps are clearly observed to break down into emsembles of super star clusters revealing the true nature of the primary entities of the starburst.