scholarly journals The Spiral Structure in the Solar Neighborhood

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. G. Hou
Keyword(s):  
Spiral Structure ◽  
Open Clusters ◽  
Solar Neighborhood ◽  
High Mass ◽  
Mass Star ◽  
Giant Molecular Clouds ◽  
Star Formation Region ◽  
Spiral Arms ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Better Than

The spiral structure in the solar neighborhood is an important issue in astronomy. In the past few years, there has been significant progress in observation. The distances for a large number of good spiral tracers, i.e., giant molecular clouds, high-mass star-formation region masers, HII regions, O-type stars, and young open clusters, have been accurately estimated, making it possible to depict the detailed properties of nearby spiral arms. In this work, we first give an overview about the research status for the Galaxy’s spiral structure based on different types of tracers. Then the objects with distance uncertainties better than 15% and <0.5 kpc are collected and combined together to depict the spiral structure in the solar neighborhood. Five segments related with the Perseus, Local, Sagittarius-Carina, Scutum-Centaurus, and Norma arms are traced. With the large dataset, the parameters of the nearby arm segments are fitted and updated. Besides the dominant spiral arms, some substructures probably related to arm spurs or feathers are also noticed and discussed.

Structure of the Milky Way: View from the Southern Hemisphere

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (S336) ◽  
pp. 154-157
Author(s):  
Lucas J. Hyland ◽  
Simon P. Ellingsen ◽  
Mark J. Reid
Keyword(s):  
Southern Hemisphere ◽  
High Precision ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Milky Way ◽  
Spiral Structure ◽  
High Mass ◽  
Mass Star ◽  
Spiral Arms ◽  
Long Baseline ◽  
Trigonometric Parallax

AbstractThe exclusive association of Class II methanol masers with high mass star formation regions and in turn spiral arms, makes them ideal tracers of spiral structure. The bright and compact nature of masers also makes them good sources for Very Long Baseline Interferometry, with their fluxes visible on some of the longest terrestrial baselines. The success of the BeSSeL (Bar and Spiral Structure Legacy) project has demonstrated the use of masers in large scale high–precision trigonometric parallax surveys. This survey was then able to precisely map the spiral arms visible from the Northern Hemisphere and recalculate the fundamental Milky Way parameters R0 and θ0. The majority of the Milky Way is visible from the Southern Hemisphere and at the present time the Australian LBA (Long Baseline Array) is the only Southern Hemisphere array capable of taking high–precision trigonometric parallax data. We present the progress–to–date of the Southern Hemisphere experiment. We will also unveil a new broadband Southern Hemisphere array, capable of much faster parallax turnaround and atmospheric calibration.

scholarly journals The local spiral structure of the Milky Way

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (9) ◽  
pp. e1600878 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ye Xu ◽  
Mark Reid ◽  
Thomas Dame ◽  
Karl Menten ◽  
Nobuyuki Sakai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Milky Way ◽  
Spiral Structure ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Great Distance ◽  
High Mass ◽  
Mass Star ◽  
Distance Measurements ◽  
Spiral Arms ◽  
Long Baseline

The nature of the spiral structure of the Milky Way has long been debated. Only in the last decade have astronomers been able to accurately measure distances to a substantial number of high-mass star-forming regions, the classic tracers of spiral structure in galaxies. We report distance measurements at radio wavelengths using the Very Long Baseline Array for eight regions of massive star formation near the Local spiral arm of the Milky Way. Combined with previous measurements, these observations reveal that the Local Arm is larger than previously thought, and both its pitch angle and star formation rate are comparable to those of the Galaxy’s major spiral arms, such as Sagittarius and Perseus. Toward the constellation Cygnus, sources in the Local Arm extend for a great distance along our line of sight and roughly along the solar orbit. Because of this orientation, these sources cluster both on the sky and in velocity to form the complex and long enigmatic Cygnus X region. We also identify a spur that branches between the Local and Sagittarius spiral arms.

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 The spiral structure of our Milky Way

2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (S292) ◽  
pp. 106-106
Author(s):  
L. G. Hou ◽  
J. L. Han
Keyword(s):  
Milky Way ◽  
Spiral Structure ◽  
Hii Regions ◽  
Giant Molecular Clouds ◽  
Constant Weight ◽  
Spiral Arms ◽  
Flat Rotation Curve ◽  
Methanol Masers ◽  
The Masses ◽  
Excitation Parameters

AbstractThe spiral structure of our Milky Way has not yet been well outlined. HII regions, giant molecular clouds (GMCs) and 6.7-GHz methanol masers are primary tracers for spiral arms. We collect and update the database of these tracers which has been used in Hou et al. (2009) for the spiral arms.The new database consists of ∼ 2000 HII regions, ∼ 1300 GMCs and ∼ 800 methanol masers (6.7 GHz). If the photometric or trigonometric distance for any tracer is available from the literature, we will adopt it. Otherwise, we have to use the kinematic distance. We modify the VLSR according to the newly determined solar motions (U0 = 10.27 km s−1, V0 = 15.32 km s−1 and W0 = 7.74 km s−1, Schönrich et al. 2010), then calculate the kinematic distances with a flat rotation curve (R0 = 8.3 kpc, θ0 = 239 km s−1, Brunthaler et al. 2011). Very important step is that we weight tracers according to the excitation parameters of HII regions or the masses of GMCs, and a constant weight for masers. All three kinds of tracers are used together to outline the spiral structure (Fig. 1). A contour and gray map is constructed after we made a Gaussian extension for the tracers with the amplitude of weighting parameter.

scholarly journals Ammonia towards dust clumps in the giant molecular cloud associated with RCW 106

2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (S292) ◽  
pp. 50-50
Author(s):  
Vicki Lowe ◽  
Maria R. Cunningham ◽  
James S. Urquhart ◽  
Shinji Horiuchi
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Radio Telescope ◽  
Molecular Cloud ◽  
Galactic Plane ◽  
High Mass ◽  
Mass Star ◽  
Giant Molecular Clouds ◽  
Molecular Line ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
Star Formation Regions

AbstractHigh-mass stars are known to be born within giant molecular clouds (GMCs); However, the exact processes involved in forming a high-mass star are still not well understood. It is clear that high-mass stars do not form in isolation, and that the processes surrounding high-mass star formation may affect the environment of the entire molecular cloud. We are studying the GMC associated with RCW 106 (G333), which is one of the most active massive-star formation regions in the Galactic plane. This GMC, located at l = 333° b = − 0.5°, has been mapped in over 20 molecular line transitions with the Mopra radio telescope (83-110 GHz), in Australia, and with the Swedish-ESO Submillimeter Telescope (SEST) in the 1.2 mm cool dust continuum. The region is also within the Spitzer GLIMPSE infrared survey (3.6, 4.5, 5.8, and 8.0 μm) area. We have decomposed the dust continuum using a clump-finding algorithm (CLUMPFIND), and are using the multiple molecular line traditions from the Mopra radio telescope to classify the type and stage of star formation taking place therein. Having accurate physical temperatures of the star forming clumps is essential to constrain other parameters to within useful limits. To achieve this, we have obtained pointed NH3 observations from the Tidbinbilla 70-m radio telescope, in Australia, towards these clumps.

scholarly journals ALMA Observations of Giant Molecular Clouds in M33. II. Triggered High-mass Star Formation by Multiple Gas Colliding Events at the NGC 604 Complex

2020 ◽  
Vol 903 (2) ◽  
pp. 94
Author(s):  
Kazuyuki Muraoka ◽  
Hiroshi Kondo ◽  
Kazuki Tokuda ◽  
Atsushi Nishimura ◽  
Rie E. Miura ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Molecular Clouds ◽  
High Mass ◽  
Mass Star ◽  
Giant Molecular Clouds

scholarly journals Formation of Stellar Clusters and the Importance of Thermodynamics for Fragmentation

2007 ◽  
Vol 3 (S246) ◽  
pp. 3-12
Author(s):  
Ralf S. Klessen ◽  
Paul C. Clark ◽  
Simon C. O. Glover
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Dynamic Properties ◽  
Mass Function ◽  
Mass Scale ◽  
Initial Mass Function ◽  
Solar Neighborhood ◽  
High Mass ◽  
Mass Star ◽  
Heating Regime ◽  
Effective Equation

AbstractWe discuss results from numerical simulations of star cluster formation in the turbulent interstellar medium (ISM). The thermodynamic behavior of the star-forming gas plays a crucial role in fragmentation and determines the stellar mass function as well as the dynamic properties of the nascent stellar cluster. This holds for star formation in molecular clouds in the solar neighborhood as well as for the formation of the very first stars in the early universe. The thermodynamic state of the ISM is a result of the balance between heating and cooling processes, which in turn are determined by atomic and molecular physics and by chemical abundances. Features in the effective equation of state of the gas, such as a transition from a cooling to a heating regime, define a characteristic mass scale for fragmentation and so set the peak of the initial mass function of stars (IMF). As it is based on fundamental physical quantities and constants, this is an attractive approach to explain the apparent universality of the IMF in the solar neighborhood as well as the transition from purely primordial high-mass star formation to the more normal low-mass mode observed today.

scholarly journals Formation of high-mass stars in an isolated environment in the Large Magellanic Cloud

2019 ◽  
Vol 71 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryohei Harada ◽  
Toshikazu Onishi ◽  
Kazuki Tokuda ◽  
Sarolta Zahorecz ◽  
Annie Hughes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Large Magellanic Cloud ◽  
Magellanic Cloud ◽  
Young Stellar Objects ◽  
High Mass ◽  
Mass Star ◽  
Giant Molecular Clouds ◽  
Stellar Objects ◽  
Stellar Cluster ◽  
The Galaxy

Abstract The aim of this study is to characterize the distribution and basic properties of the natal gas associated with high-mass young stellar objects (YSOs) in isolated environments in the Large Magellanic Cloud. High-mass stars usually form in giant molecular clouds (GMCs) as part of a young stellar cluster, but some OB stars are observed far from GMCs. By examining the spatial coincidence between the high-mass YSOs and 12CO (J = 1–0) emission detected by NANTEN and Mopra observations, we selected ten high-mass YSOs that are located away from any of the NANTEN clouds but are detected by the Mopra pointed observations. The ALMA observations revealed that a compact molecular cloud whose mass is a few thousand solar masses or smaller is associated with the high-mass YSOs, which indicates that these compact clouds are the sites of high-mass star formation. The high density and high temperature throughout the clouds are explained by the severe photodissociation of CO due to the lower metallicity than in the Galaxy. The star formation efficiency ranges from several to as high as ∼40%, indicating efficient star formation in these environments. The enhanced turbulence may be a cause of the efficient star formation therein, as judged from the gas velocity information and the association with the lower density gas.

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