scholarly journals From clump to disc scales in W3 IRS4

2020 ◽  
Vol 636 ◽  
pp. A118
Author(s):  
J. C. Mottram ◽  
H. Beuther ◽  
A. Ahmadi ◽  
P. D. Klaassen ◽  
M. T. Beltrán ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
High Mass ◽  
Bulk Temperature ◽  
Mass Star ◽  
Star Formation Region ◽  
Physical And Chemical ◽  
First Time ◽  
Core Fragmentation

Context. High-mass star formation typically takes place in a crowded environment, with a higher likelihood of young forming stars affecting and being affected by their surroundings and neighbours, as well as links between different physical scales affecting the outcome. However, observational studies are often focused on either clump or disc scales exclusively. Aims. We explore the physical and chemical links between clump and disc scales in the high-mass star formation region W3 IRS4, a region that contains a number of different evolutionary phases in the high-mass star formation process, as a case-study for what can be achieved as part of the IRAM NOrthern Extended Millimeter Array (NOEMA) large programme named CORE: “Fragmentation and disc formation in high-mass star formation”. Methods. We present 1.4 mm continuum and molecular line observations with the IRAM NOEMA interferometer and 30 m telescope, which together probe spatial scales from ~0.3−20′′ (600−40 000 AU or 0.003−0.2 pc at 2 kpc, the distance to W3). As part of our analysis, we used XCLASS to constrain the temperature, column density, velocity, and line-width of the molecular emission lines. Results. The W3 IRS4 region includes a cold filament and cold cores, a massive young stellar object (MYSO) embedded in a hot core, and a more evolved ultra-compact (UC)H II region, with some degree of interaction between all components of the region that affects their evolution. A large velocity gradient is seen in the filament, suggesting infall of material towards the hot core at a rate of 10−3−10−4 M⊙ yr−1, while the swept up gas ring in the photodissociation region around the UCH II region may be squeezing the hot core from the other side. There are no clear indications of a disc around the MYSO down to the resolution of the observations (600 AU). A total of 21 molecules are detected, with the abundances and abundance ratios indicating that many molecules were formed in the ice mantles of dust grains at cooler temperatures, below the freeze-out temperature of CO (≲35 K). This contrasts with the current bulk temperature of ~50 K, which was obtained from H2CO. Conclusions. CORE observations allow us to comprehensively link the different structures in the W3 IRS4 region for the first time. Our results argue that the dynamics and environment around the MYSO W3 IRS4 have a significant impact on its evolution. This context would be missing if only high resolution or continuum observations were available.

scholarly journals Ammonia observations towards the Aquila Rift cloud complex

2020 ◽  
Vol 643 ◽  
pp. A178
Author(s):  
Kadirya Tursun ◽  
Jarken Esimbek ◽  
Christian Henkel ◽  
Xindi Tang ◽  
Gang Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Dust Emission ◽  
Turbulent Energy ◽  
Gravitational Energy ◽  
High Mass ◽  
Kinetic Temperature ◽  
Mass Star ◽  
Dense Gas ◽  
Star Formation Region ◽  
Formation Region

We surveyed the Aquila Rift complex including the Serpens South and W 40 regions in the NH3 (1,1) and (2,2) transitions making use of the Nanshan 26-m telescope. Our observations cover an area of ~ 1.5° × 2.2° (11.4 pc × 16.7 pc). The kinetic temperatures of the dense gas in the Aquila Rift complex obtained from NH3 (2,2)/(1,1) ratios range from 8.9 to 35.0 K with an average of 15.3 ± 6.1 K (errors are standard deviations of the mean). Low gas temperatures are associated with Serpens South ranging from 8.9 to 16.8 K with an average of 12.3 ± 1.7 K, while dense gas in the W 40 region shows higher temperatures ranging from 17.7 to 35.0 K with an average of 25.1 ± 4.9 K. A comparison of kinetic temperatures derived from para-NH3 (2,2)/(1,1) against HiGal dust temperatures indicates that the gas and dust temperatures are in agreement in the low-mass-star formation region of Serpens South. In the high-mass-star formation region W 40, the measured gas kinetic temperatures are higher than those of the dust. The turbulent component of the velocity dispersion of NH3 (1,1) is found to be positively correlated with the gas kinetic temperature, which indicates that the dense gas may be heated by dissipation of turbulent energy. For the fractional total-NH3 (para+ortho) abundance obtained by a comparison with Herschel infrared continuum data representing dust emission, we find values from 0.1 ×10−8 to 2.1 ×10−7 with an average of 6.9 (±4.5) × 10−8. Serpens South also shows a fractional total-NH3 (para+ortho) abundance ranging from 0.2 ×10−8 to 2.1 ×10−7 with an average of 8.6 (±3.8) × 10−8. In W 40, values are lower, between 0.1 and 4.3 ×10−8 with an average of 1.6 (±1.4) × 10−8. Weak velocity gradients demonstrate that the rotational energy is a negligible fraction of the gravitational energy. In W 40, gas and dust temperatures are not strongly dependent on the projected distance to the recently formed massive stars. Overall, the morphology of the mapped region is ring-like, with strong emission at lower and weak emission at higher Galactic longitudes. However, the presence of a physical connection between the two parts remains questionable.

scholarly journals A MID-INFRARED VIEW OF THE HIGH MASS STAR FORMATION REGION W51A

2016 ◽  
Vol 825 (1) ◽  
pp. 54 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. L. Barbosa ◽  
R. D. Blum ◽  
A. Damineli ◽  
P. S. Conti ◽  
D. M. Gusmão
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
High Mass ◽  
Mass Star ◽  
Mid Infrared ◽  
Star Formation Region ◽  
Formation Region

scholarly journals Parallaxes of 6.7-GHz methanol masers towards the G 305.2 high-mass star formation region

2016 ◽  
Vol 465 (1) ◽  
pp. 1095-1105 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Krishnan ◽  
S. P. Ellingsen ◽  
M. J. Reid ◽  
H. E. Bignall ◽  
J. McCallum ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
High Mass ◽  
Mass Star ◽  
Star Formation Region ◽  
Formation Region ◽  
Methanol Masers

scholarly journals Highly deuterated pre-stellar cores in a high-mass star formation region

2007 ◽  
Vol 477 (3) ◽  
pp. L45-L48 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Fontani ◽  
P. Caselli ◽  
T. L. Bourke ◽  
R. Cesaroni ◽  
J. Brand
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
High Mass ◽  
Mass Star ◽  
Star Formation Region ◽  
Formation Region

scholarly journals Fragmentation and disk formation during high-mass star formation

2018 ◽  
Vol 617 ◽  
pp. A100 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Beuther ◽  
J. C. Mottram ◽  
A. Ahmadi ◽  
F. Bosco ◽  
H. Linz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Spectral Line ◽  
Angular Resolution ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
High Mass ◽  
Continuum Emission ◽  
Mass Star ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
Disk Formation ◽  
Star Forming Regions

Context. High-mass stars form in clusters, but neither the early fragmentation processes nor the detailed physical processes leading to the most massive stars are well understood. Aims. We aim to understand the fragmentation, as well as the disk formation, outflow generation, and chemical processes during high-mass star formation on spatial scales of individual cores. Methods. Using the IRAM Northern Extended Millimeter Array (NOEMA) in combination with the 30 m telescope, we have observed in the IRAM large program CORE the 1.37 mm continuum and spectral line emission at high angular resolution (~0.4″) for a sample of 20 well-known high-mass star-forming regions with distances below 5.5 kpc and luminosities larger than 104 L⊙. Results. We present the overall survey scope, the selected sample, the observational setup, and the main goals of CORE. Scientifically, we concentrated on the mm continuum emission on scales on the order of 1000 AU. We detect strong mm continuum emission from all regions, mostly due to the emission from cold dust. The fragmentation properties of the sample are diverse. We see extremes where some regions are dominated by a single high-mass core whereas others fragment into as many as 20 cores. A minimum-spanning-tree analysis finds fragmentation at scales on the order of the thermal Jeans length or smaller suggesting that turbulent fragmentation is less important than thermal gravitational fragmentation. The diversity of highly fragmented vs. singular regions can be explained by varying initial density structures and/or different initial magnetic field strengths. Conclusions. A large sample of high-mass star-forming regions at high spatial resolution allows us to study the fragmentation properties of young cluster-forming regions. The smallest observed separations between cores are found around the angular resolution limit which indicates that further fragmentation likely takes place on even smaller spatial scales. The CORE project with its numerous spectral line detections will address a diverse set of important physical and chemical questions in the field of high-mass star formation.

scholarly journals Physical and chemical structure of dense cores in regions of high mass star formation

2005 ◽  
Vol 1 (S227) ◽  
pp. 92-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Igor Zinchenko ◽  
Lev Pirogov ◽  
Paola Caselli ◽  
Lars E.B. Johansson ◽  
Sergey Malafeev ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Chemical Structure ◽  
High Mass ◽  
Mass Star ◽  
Dense Cores ◽  
Physical And Chemical

scholarly journals High-mass star formation at sub-50 au scales

2019 ◽  
Vol 621 ◽  
pp. A122 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Beuther ◽  
A. Ahmadi ◽  
J. C. Mottram ◽  
H. Linz ◽  
L. T. Maud ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Optical Depth ◽  
Spatial Resolution ◽  
Velocity Structure ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Spectral Lines ◽  
Emission Lines ◽  
High Mass ◽  
Mass Star ◽  
Small Scales

Context. The hierarchical process of star formation has so far mostly been studied on scales from thousands of au to parsecs, but the smaller sub-1000 au scales of high-mass star formation are still largely unexplored in the submillimeter regime. Aims. We aim to resolve the dust and gas emission at the highest spatial resolution to study the physical properties of the densest structures during high-mass star formation. Methods. We observed the high-mass hot core region G351.77-0.54 with the Atacama Large Millimeter Array with baselines extending out to more than 16 km. This allowed us to dissect the region at sub-50 au spatial scales. Results. At a spatial resolution of 18/40 au (depending on the distance), we identify twelve sub-structures within the inner few thousand au of the region. The brightness temperatures are high, reaching values greater 1000 K, signposting high optical depth toward the peak positions. Core separations vary between sub-100 au to several 100 and 1000 au. The core separations and approximate masses are largely consistent with thermal Jeans fragmentation of a dense gas core. Due to the high continuum optical depth, most spectral lines are seen in absorption. However, a few exceptional emission lines are found that most likely stem from transitions with excitation conditions above 1000 K. Toward the main continuum source, these emission lines exhibit a velocity gradient across scales of 100–200 au aligned with the molecular outflow and perpendicular to the previously inferred disk orientation. While we cannot exclude that these observational features stem from an inner hot accretion disk, the alignment with the outflow rather suggests that it stems from the inner jet and outflow region. The highest-velocity features are found toward the peak position, and no Hubble-like velocity structure can be identified. Therefore, these data are consistent with steady-state turbulent entrainment of the hot molecular gas via Kelvin–Helmholtz instabilities at the interface between the jet and the outflow. Conclusions. Resolving this high-mass star-forming region at sub-50 au scales indicates that the hierarchical fragmentation process in the framework of thermal Jeans fragmentation can continue down to the smallest accessible spatial scales. Velocity gradients on these small scales have to be treated cautiously and do not necessarily stem from disks, but may be better explained with outflow emission. Studying these small scales is very powerful, but covering all spatial scales and deriving a global picture from large to small scales are the next steps to investigate.

scholarly journals Core fragmentation and Toomre stability analysis of W3(H2O)

2018 ◽  
Vol 618 ◽  
pp. A46 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Ahmadi ◽  
H. Beuther ◽  
J. C. Mottram ◽  
F. Bosco ◽  
H. Linz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spectral Line ◽  
Gravitational Instability ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
High Mass ◽  
Continuum Emission ◽  
Mass Star ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
The Core ◽  
Core Fragmentation ◽  
Core Survey

Context. The fragmentation mode of high-mass molecular clumps and the properties of the central rotating structures surrounding the most luminous objects have yet to be comprehensively characterised. Aims. We study the fragmentation and kinematics of the high-mass star-forming region W3(H2O), as part of the IRAM NOrthern Extended Millimeter Array (NOEMA) large programme CORE. Methods. Using the IRAM NOEMA and the IRAM 30 m telescope, the CORE survey has obtained high-resolution observations of 20 well-known highly luminous star-forming regions in the 1.37 mm wavelength regime in both line and dust continuum emission. Results. We present the spectral line setup of the CORE survey and a case study for W3(H2O). At ~0.′′35 (700 AU at 2.0 kpc) resolution, the W3(H2O) clump fragments into two cores (west and east), separated by ~2300 AU. Velocity shifts of a few km s−1 are observed in the dense-gas tracer, CH3CN, across both cores, consistent with rotation and perpendicular to the directions of two bipolar outflows, one emanating from each core. The kinematics of the rotating structure about W3(H2O) W shows signs of differential rotation of material, possibly in a disk-like object. The observed rotational signature around W3(H2O) E may be due to a disk-like object, an unresolved binary (or multiple) system, or a combination of both. We fit the emission of CH3CN (12K−11K), K = 4−6 and derive a gas temperature map with a median temperature of ~165 K across W3(H2O). We create a Toomre Q map to study thestability of the rotating structures against gravitational instability. The rotating structures appear to be Toomre unstable close to their outer boundaries, with a possibility of further fragmentation in the differentially rotating core, W3(H2O) W. Rapid cooling in the Toomre unstable regions supports the fragmentation scenario. Conclusions. Combining millimetre dust continuum and spectral line data toward the famous high-mass star-forming region W3(H2O), we identify core fragmentation on large scales, and indications for possible disk fragmentation on smaller spatial scales.

Revealing magnetic fields towards massive protostars: a multi-scale approach using masers and dust

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (A30) ◽  
pp. 111-112
Author(s):  
Daria Dall’Olio ◽  
W. H. T. Vlemmings ◽  
M. V. Persson
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Star Formation ◽  
Magnetic Fields ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
High Mass ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Evolutionary Stage ◽  
Mass Star ◽  
Filamentary Structure ◽  
The Magnetic Field

AbstractMagnetic fields play a significant role during star formation processes, hindering the fragmentation and the collapse of the parental cloud, and affecting the accretion mechanisms and feedback phenomena. However, several questions still need to be addressed to clarify the importance of magnetic fields at the onset of high-mass star formation, such as how strong they are and at what evolutionary stage and spatial scales their action becomes relevant. Furthermore, the magnetic field parameters are still poorly constrained especially at small scales, i.e. few astronomical units from the central object, where the accretion disc and the base of the outflow are located. Thus we need to probe magnetic fields at different scales, at different evolutionary steps and possibly with different tracers. We show that the magnetic field morphology around high-mass protostars can be successfully traced at different scales by observing maser and dust polarised emission. A confirmation that they are effective tools is indeed provided by our recent results from 6.7 GHz MERLIN observations of the massive protostar IRAS 18089-1732, where we find that the small-scale magnetic field probed by methanol masers is consistent with the large-scale magnetic field probed by dust (Dall’Olio et al. 2017 A&A 607, A111). Moreover we present results obtained from our ALMA Band 7 polarisation observations of G9.62+0.20, which is a massive star-forming region with a sequence of cores at different evolutionary stages (Dall’Olio et al. submitted to A&A). In this region we resolve several protostellar cores embedded in a bright and dusty filamentary structure. The magnetic field morphology and strength in different cores is related to the evolutionary sequence of the star formation process which is occurring across the filament.

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