We present H - and K _ { s } -band imaging of three fields at the centre of 30 Doradus in the Large Magellanic Cloud , obtained as part of the Science Demonstration programme with the Multi-conjugate Adaptive optics Demonstrator ( MAD ) at the Very Large Telescope .
Strehl ratios of 15-30 % were achieved in the K _ { s } -band , yielding near-infrared images of this dense and complex region at unprecedented angular resolution at these wavelengths .

The MAD data are used to construct a near-infrared luminosity profile for R136 , the cluster at the core of 30 Dor .
Using cluster profiles of the form used by , we find the surface brightness can be fit by a relatively shallow power-law function ( \gamma \sim 1.5-1.7 ) over the full extent of the MAD data , which extends to a radius of \sim 40 ^ { \prime \prime } ( \sim 10 pc ) .
We do not see compelling evidence for a break in the luminosity profile as seen in optical data in the literature , arguing that cluster asymmetries are the dominant source , although extinction effects and stars from nearby triggered star-formation likely also contribute .
These results highlight the need to consider cluster asymmetries and multiple spatial components in interpretation of the luminosity profiles of distant unresolved clusters .

We also investigate seven candidate young stellar objects reported by Gruendl & Chu from Spitzer observations , six of which have apparent counterparts in the MAD images .
The most interesting of these ( GC09 : 053839.24 - 690552.3 ) appears related to a striking bow-shock–like feature , orientated away from both R136 and the Wolf-Rayet star Brey 75 , at distances of 19 \aas@@fstack { \prime \prime } 5 and 8 ^ { \prime \prime } ( 4.7 and 1.9 pc in projection ) , respectively .