scholarly journals The Methanol Multibeam Survey: a unique window on high-mass star formation in our Galaxy

2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (S292) ◽  
pp. 79-82
Author(s):  
J. L. Caswell
Keyword(s):  
Mass Range ◽  
High Mass ◽  
Galactic Rotation ◽  
Evolutionary Stage ◽  
Mass Star ◽  
Methanol Maser ◽  
Model Free ◽  
Radio Measurements ◽  
The Many

AbstractThe Methanol Multibeam (MMB) survey has yielded over 1000 masers at the 6668-MHz methanol transition: a near-complete census throughout the Galactic disc, as evident from the discovery statistics, and corroborated by preliminary distance determinations. Each maser pinpoints a massive star in a brief early evolutionary phase. Follow-up comparisons reveal in most cases a matching IR source in the GLIMPSE survey. The methanol masers effectively distinguish the genuine high mass proto-stars from the many thousand IR mimics of similar color. Longer IR wavelength follow-ups by Herschel instruments, and in the radio mm-continuum, will refine the mass-range encompassed by the masers; and, complemented by radio measurements at short cm-wavelengths, will define the evolutionary stage of each site, distinguishing hyper-compact HII regions from an earlier phase. Follow-up studies of key molecular gas tracers, including closely associated masers (other methanol transitions, water and OH), reveal the extent of homogeneity in the population and environments of high mass stars.Distance estimates based on the maser velocities have already allowed useful exploration of Galactic structure. Future astrometric parallax measurements extended to the full maser sample will precisely define the geometry of Galactic spiral arms of our Galaxy and independently define the velocity field, allowing a model-free study of Galactic rotation and dynamics. Associated OH masers (present at about half of the methanol sites) are being exploited to provide the first Galaxy-wide grid of ‘in situ’ magnetic field estimates.Our detailed characterization of the Galactic methanol maser population provides a yardstick for extragalactic comparisons with M31 and the LMC. Notably, our survey of the LMC has shown its methanol maser population to be remarkably small relative to our Galaxy - a likely consequence of low LMC metallicity.

scholarly journals An evolutionary sequence for high-mass star formation

2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (S292) ◽  
pp. 39-39
Author(s):  
S. L. Breen ◽  
S. P. Ellingsen
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Strong Evidence ◽  
High Mass ◽  
Evolutionary Stage ◽  
Mass Star ◽  
Evolutionary Sequence ◽  
Subsequent Work ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
Methanol Maser ◽  
Methanol Masers

AbstractDetermining an evolutionary clock for high-mass star formation is an important step towards realizing a unified theory of star formation, as it will enable qualitative studies of the associated high-mass stars to be executed. Our recent studies have shown that masers have great potential to accurately trace the evolution of these regions. We have investigated the relative evolutionary phases associated with the presence of combinations of water, methanol and hydroxyl masers. Comparison between the characteristics of coincident sources has revealed strong evidence for an evolutionary sequence for the different maser species, a result that we now aim to corroborate through comparisons with chemical clocks.Using our new, large samples of methanol masers at 6.7 GHz (MMB survey; Green et al. (2009)) and 12.2 GHz (Breen et al. 2012), 22 GHz water masers (Breen & Ellingsen 2012), OH masers together with complementary data, we find strong evidence that it is not only the presence or absence of the different maser species that indicates the evolutionary stage of the associated high-mass star formation region (see e.g. Breen et al. (2010)), but that the properties of those masers can give even finer evolutionary details. Most notably, the intensity and velocity range of detected maser emission increases as the star forming region evolves (Breen et al. 2011).Subsequent work we have undertaken (Ellingsen et al. 2011) has shown that the presence of rare 37.7 GHz methanol masers may signal the end of the methanol maser phase. They show that 37.7 GHz methanol masers are associated only with the most luminous 6.7 and 12.2 GHz methanol masers, which combined with the rarity of these objects is consistent with them being a short lived phase towards the end of the 6.7 GHz methanol maser lifetime.An independent confirmation of our maser evolutionary timeline can be gained through comparisons with chemical clocks. MALT90 is a legacy survey of 1000s of dense star forming cores at 90GHz, simultaneously observing 16 molecular lines with the Mopra radio telescope (see e.g. Foster et al. 2011). It provides the perfect dataset to test the maser evolutionary timeline due to the targeted lines and the fact that at least one-quarter of the MALT90 sources correspond to maser sites, providing a large enough sample for meaningful analysis. From our preliminary analysis, we find that star formation regions showing similar maser properties also show similar thermal line properties; as would be expected if our evolutionary scenario were accurate.

scholarly journals GASTON: Galactic Star Formation with NIKA2. Evidence for the mass growth of star-forming clumps

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
A J Rigby ◽  
N Peretto ◽  
R Adam ◽  
P Ade ◽  
M Anderson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Galactic Plane ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
High Mass ◽  
Evolutionary Stage ◽  
Mass Star ◽  
Mass Growth ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
Compact Source

Abstract Determining the mechanism by which high-mass stars are formed is essential for our understanding of the energy budget and chemical evolution of galaxies. By using the New IRAM KIDs Array 2 (NIKA2) camera on the Institut de Radio Astronomie Millimétrique (IRAM) 30-m telescope, we have conducted high-sensitivity and large-scale mapping of a fraction of the Galactic plane in order to search for signatures of the transition between the high- and low-mass star-forming modes. Here, we present the first results from the Galactic Star Formation with NIKA2 (GASTON) project, a Large Programme at the IRAM 30-m telescope which is mapping ≈2 deg2 of the inner Galactic plane (GP), centred on ℓ = 23${_{.}^{\circ}}$9, b = 0${_{.}^{\circ}}$05, as well as targets in Taurus and Ophiuchus in 1.15 and 2.00 mm continuum wavebands. In this paper we present the first of the GASTON GP data taken, and present initial science results. We conduct an extraction of structures from the 1.15 mm maps using a dendrogram analysis and, by comparison to the compact source catalogues from Herschel survey data, we identify a population of 321 previously-undetected clumps. Approximately 80 per cent of these new clumps are 70 μm-quiet, and may be considered as starless candidates. We find that this new population of clumps are less massive and cooler, on average, than clumps that have already been identified. Further, by classifying the full sample of clumps based upon their infrared-bright fraction – an indicator of evolutionary stage – we find evidence for clump mass growth, supporting models of clump-fed high-mass star formation.

scholarly journals Nitrogen and hydrogen fractionation in high-mass star-forming cores from observations of HCN and HNC

2018 ◽  
Vol 609 ◽  
pp. A129 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Colzi ◽  
F. Fontani ◽  
P. Caselli ◽  
C. Ceccarelli ◽  
P. Hily-Blant ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solar System ◽  
Solar Nebula ◽  
Rotational Transition ◽  
High Mass ◽  
Evolutionary Stage ◽  
Mass Star ◽  
Stellar Cluster ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
Star Forming Regions ◽  
Dense Cores

The ratio between the two stable isotopes of nitrogen, 14N and 15N, is well measured in the terrestrial atmosphere (~272), and for the pre-solar nebula (~441, deduced from the solar wind). Interestingly, some pristine solar system materials show enrichments in 15N with respect to the pre-solar nebula value. However, it is not yet clear if and how these enrichments are linked to the past chemical history because we have only a limited number of measurements in dense star-forming regions. In this respect, dense cores, which are believed to be the precursors of clusters and also contain intermediate- and high-mass stars, are important targets because the solar system was probably born within a rich stellar cluster, and such clusters are formed in high-mass star-forming regions. The number of observations in such high-mass dense cores has remained limited so far. In this work, we show the results of IRAM-30 m observations of the J = 1−0 rotational transition of the molecules HCN and HNC and their 15N-bearing counterparts towards 27 intermediate- and high-mass dense cores that are divided almost equally into three evolutionary categories: high-mass starless cores, high-mass protostellar objects, and ultra-compact Hii regions. We have also observed the DNC(2–1) rotational transition in order to search for a relation between the isotopic ratios D/H and 14N/15N. We derive average 14N/15N ratios of 359 ± 16 in HCN and of 438 ± 21 in HNC, with a dispersion of about 150–200. We find no trend of the 14N/15N ratio with evolutionary stage. This result agrees with what has been found for N2H+ and its isotopologues in the same sources, although the 14N/15N ratios from N2H+ show a higher dispersion than in HCN/HNC, and on average, their uncertainties are larger as well. Moreover, we have found no correlation between D/H and 14N/15N in HNC. These findings indicate that (1) the chemical evolution does not seem to play a role in the fractionation of nitrogen, and that (2) the fractionation of hydrogen and nitrogen in these objects is not related.

scholarly journals A Sensitive Search for Predicted Methanol Maser Transitions with the Australia Telescope Compact Array

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Chipman ◽  
S. P. Ellingsen ◽  
A. M. Sobolev ◽  
D. M. Cragg
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Class Ii ◽  
High Mass ◽  
Mass Star ◽  
Radio Telescopes ◽  
Methanol Maser ◽  
Upper Limit ◽  
Methanol Masers ◽  
Star Formation Regions ◽  
Compact Array

AbstractWe have used the Australia Telescope Compact Array to search for a number of centimetre wavelength methanol transitions which are predicted to show weak maser emission towards star formation regions. Sensitive, high spatial, and spectral resolution observations towards four high-mass star formation regions which show emission in a large number of class II methanol maser transitions did not result in any detections. From these observations, we are able to place an upper limit of ≲ 1300 K on the brightness temperature of any emission from the 31A+–31A−, 17−2–18−3 E (vt = 1), 124–133 A−, 124–133 A+, and 41A+–41A− transitions of methanol in these sources on angular scales of 2 arcsec. This upper limit is consistent with current models for class II methanol masers in high-mass star formation regions and better constraints than those provided here will likely require observations with next-generation radio telescopes.

scholarly journals The radial velocity acceleration of the 6.7 GHz methanol maser in Mon R2 IRS3

2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (S287) ◽  
pp. 190-191
Author(s):  
K. Sugiyama ◽  
K. Fujisawa ◽  
N. Shino ◽  
A. Doi
Keyword(s):  
Radial Velocity ◽  
High Mass ◽  
Mass Star ◽  
Spectral Features ◽  
Proper Motions ◽  
Infrared Source ◽  
Young Stellar Object ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
Methanol Maser ◽  
Methanol Masers

AbstractWe present the radial velocity acceleration of the 6.7 GHz methanol maser in a high-mass star-forming region Monoceros R2 (Mon R2). The methanol maser is associated with an infrared source IRS3. The methanol maser of Mon R2 shows at least three spectral features having radial velocities (Vlsr) of 10.8, 12.7, and 13.2 km s−1. The radial velocity of a feature at Vlsr = 12.7 km s−1 has changed during ten years from Aug. 1999 to Oct. 2009, corresponding to an acceleration of 0.08 km s−1 yr−1. We observed the 6.7 GHz methanol masers of Mon R2 in Oct. 2008 using the Japanese VLBI Network (JVN). Compared with the previous VLBI image obtained in Nov. 1998 using the European VLBI Network (EVN), the maser feature at Vlsr = 12.7 km s−1 showed relative proper motions of ~2.5 mas yr−1 (about 10 km s−1 at 0.83 kpc) toward the intensity peak of IRS3. The radial velocity acceleration could be caused by an inflow from a disk or envelope around a high-mass young stellar object (YSO) at IRS3.

scholarly journals 44 GHz Methanol Maser Surveys

2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (S287) ◽  
pp. 133-140
Author(s):  
S. E. Kurtz
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Formation Process ◽  
Class Ii ◽  
Class I ◽  
High Mass ◽  
Mass Star ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
Methanol Maser ◽  
Star Forming Regions ◽  
Methanol Masers

AbstractClass I 44 GHz methanol masers are not as well-known, as common, or as bright as their more famous Class II cousins at 6.7 and 12.2 GHz. Nevertheless, the 44 GHz masers are commonly found in high-mass star forming regions. At times they appear to trace dynamically important phenomena; at other times they show no obvious link to the star formation process. Here, we summarize the major observational efforts to date, including both dedicated surveys and collateral observations. The principal results are presented, some that were expected, and others that were unexpected.

scholarly journals Anatomy of the S255–S257 complex – triggered high-mass star formation

2006 ◽  
Vol 2 (S237) ◽  
pp. 160-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Minier ◽  
N. Peretto ◽  
S. N. Longmore ◽  
M. G. Burton ◽  
R. Cesaroni ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Hii Regions ◽  
High Mass ◽  
Molecular Gas ◽  
Mass Star ◽  
Optical Source ◽  
Methanol Maser ◽  
The North ◽  
Global Collapse ◽  
Cold Gas

AbstractWe present a multi-wavelength (NIR to radio) and multi-scale (1 AU to 10 pc) study of the S255–S257 complex of young high-mass (proto)stars. The complex consists of two evolved HII regions and a molecular gas filament in which new generations of high mass stars form. Four distinct regions are identified within this dusty filament: a young NIR/optical source cluster, a massive protostar binary, a (sub)millimetre continuum and molecular clump in global collapse and a reservoir of cold gas. Interestingly, the massive binary protostellar system is detected through methanol maser and mid-IR emission at the interface between the NIR cluster and the cold gas filament. The collapsing clump is located to the north of the NIR cluster and hosts a young high-mass star associated with an outflow that is observed in mid-IR, methanol maser and radio emission. We interpret this anatomy as the possible result of triggered star formation, starting with the formation of two HII regions, followed by the compression of a molecular gas filament in which a first generation of high-mass stars forms (the NIR cluster), which then triggers the formation of high mass protostars in its near environment (the massive protostellar binary). The global collapse of the northern clump might be due to both the expansion of the HII regions that squashes the filament. In conclusion, we witness the formation of four generations of clusters of high-mass stars in S255–S257.

scholarly journals Water Masers Toward Star-Forming Regions in the Bolocam Galactic Plane Survey

2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (S287) ◽  
pp. 286-287 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miranda K. Dunham ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Properties ◽  
Galactic Plane ◽  
Dust Emission ◽  
High Mass ◽  
Evolutionary Stage ◽  
Mass Star ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
Star Forming Regions ◽  
Water Masers ◽  
Green Bank Telescope

AbstractWe present preliminary results of a search for 22 GHz water masers toward 1400 star-forming regions seen in the Bolocam Galactic Plane Survey (BGPS) using the Green Bank Telescope (GBT). The BGPS is a blind survey of the Northern Galactic plane in 1.1 mm thermal dust emission that has cataloged star-forming regions at all evolutionary stages. Further information is required to determine the stage of each BGPS source. Since water masers are produced by outflows from low and high-mass star forming regions, their presence is a key component of determining whether the BGPS sources are forming stars and which evolutionary stage they are in. We present preliminary detection statistics, basic properties of the water masers, and correlations with physical properties determined from the 1.1 mm emission and ammonia observations obtained concurrently with the water masers on the GBT.

scholarly journals Bursting Activity in a High-Mass Star-Forming Region G33.640.21 Observed with the 6.7 GHz Methanol Maser

2012 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenta Fujisawa ◽  
Koichiro Sugiyama ◽  
Nozomu Aoki ◽  
Tomoya Hirota ◽  
Nanako Mochizuki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Mass ◽  
Mass Star ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
Methanol Maser ◽  
Bursting Activity
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