We model the mass-to-light ratio with the `starburst99' stellar population synthesis models of Leitherer and collaborators, and infer a best-fitting cluster age in the range 63-630 Myears. Although this result depends somewhat on a number of uncertainties in the modeling (e.g., the assumed extinction along the line-of-sight towards the nucleus, the IMF of the stellar population model, and the velocity dispersion anisotropy of the cluster), none of these can be plausibly modified to yield a significantly larger age. We discuss the implications of this result on possible scenarios for the frequency of nuclear starbursts and their impact on secular evolution of spiral galaxy nuclei.
As a byproduct of our analysis, we infer that IC 342 cannot have any
central black hole more massive than 0.5 million solar masses. This is
~ 6 times less massive than the black hole inferred to exist in our
Galaxy, consistent with the accumulating evidence that galaxies with
less massive bulges harbor less massive black holes.
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