Context. Converging networks of interstellar filaments, that is hubs, have been recently linked to the formation of stellar clusters and massive stars. Understanding the relationship between the ...evolution of these systems and the formation of cores and stars inside them is at the heart of current star formation research. Aims. The goal is to study the kinematic and density structure of the SDC13 prototypical hub at high angular resolution to determine what drives its evolution and fragmentation. Methods. We have mapped SDC13, a ~1000 M⊙ infrared dark hub, in NH3(1,1) and NH3(2,2) emission lines, with both the Jansky Very Large Array and Green Bank Telescope. The high angular resolution achieved in the combined dataset allowed us to probe scales down to 0.07 pc. After fitting the ammonia lines, we computed the integrated intensities, centroid velocities and line widths, along with gas temperatures and H2 column densities. Results. The mass-per-unit-lengths of all four hub filaments are thermally super-critical, consistent with the presence of tens of gravitationally bound cores identified along them. These cores exhibit a regular separation of ~0.37 ± 0.16 pc suggesting gravitational instabilities running along these super-critical filaments are responsible for their fragmentation. The observed local increase of the dense gas velocity dispersion towards starless cores is believed to be a consequence of such fragmentation process. Using energy conservation arguments, we estimate that the gravitational to kinetic energy conversion efficiency in the SDC13 cores is ~35%. We see velocity gradient peaks towards ~63% of cores as expected during the early stages of filament fragmentation. Another clear observational signature is the presence of the most massive cores at the filaments’ junction, where the velocity dispersion is largest. We interpret this as the result of the hub morphology generating the largest acceleration gradients near the hub centre. Conclusions. We propose a scenario for the evolution of the SDC13 hub in which filaments first form as post-shock structures in a supersonic turbulent flow. As a result of the turbulent energy dissipation in the shock, the dense gas within the filaments is initially mostly sub-sonic. Then gravity takes over and starts shaping the evolution of the hub, both fragmenting filaments and pulling the gas towards the centre of the gravitational well. By doing so, gravitational energy is converted into kinetic energy in both local (cores) and global (hub centre) potential well minima. Furthermore, the generation of larger gravitational acceleration gradients at the filament junctions promotes the formation of more massive cores.
The relative importance of primordial molecular cloud fragmentation versus large-scale accretion still remains to be assessed in the context of massive core/star formation. Studying the kinematics of ...the dense gas surrounding massive-star progenitors can tell us the extent to which large-scale flow of material impacts the growth in mass of star-forming cores. Here we present a comprehensive dataset of the 5500(±800) M⊙ infrared dark cloud SDC335.579-0.272 (hereafter SDC335), which exhibits a network of cold, dense, parsec-long filaments. Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) Cycle 0 observations reveal two massive star-forming cores, MM1 and MM2, sitting at the centre of SDC335 where the filaments intersect. With a gas mass of 545(-385+770) M⊙ contained within a source diameter of 0.05 pc, MM1 is one of the most massive, compact protostellar cores ever observed in the Galaxy. As a whole, SDC335 could potentially form an OB cluster similar to the Trapezium cluster in Orion. ALMA and Mopra single-dish observations of the SDC335 dense gas furthermore reveal that the kinematics of this hub-filament system are consistent with a global collapse of the cloud. These molecular-line data point towards an infall velocity Vinf = 0.7( ± 0.2) km s-1, and a total mass infall rate Ṁinf ≃ 2.5(±1.0) × 10-3 M⊙ yr-1 towards the central pc-size region of SDC335. This infall rate brings 750(±300) M⊙ of gas to the centre of the cloud per free-fall time (tff = 3 × 105 yr). This is enough to double the mass already present in the central pc-size region in 3.5-1.0+2.2 × tff. These values suggest that the global collapse of SDC335 over the past million year resulted in the formation of an early O-type star progenitor at the centre of the cloud’s gravitational potential well.
ABSTRACT
We present deep ALMA dust continuum observations for a sample of luminous (MUV < −22) star-forming galaxies at z ≃ 7. We detect five of the six sources in the far-infrared (FIR), providing ...key constraints on the obscured star formation rate (SFR) and the infrared-excess-β (IRX–β) relation without the need for stacking. Despite the galaxies showing blue rest-frame ultraviolet (UV) slopes (β ≃ −2) we find that 35–75 per cent of the total SFR is obscured. We find the IRX–β relation derived for these z ≃ 7 sources is consistent with that found for local starburst galaxies. Using our relatively high-resolution (FWHM $\simeq 0.7\, {\rm arcsec}$) observations we identify a diversity of dust morphologies in the sample. We find both compact emission that appears offset relative to the unobscured components and extended dust emission that is co-spatial with the rest-frame UV light. In the majority of the sources, we detect strong rest-frame UV colour gradients (with up to Δβ ≃ 0.7–1.4) as probed by the multiband UltraVISTA ground-based data. The observed redder colours are spatially correlated with the location of the FIR detection. Our results show that even in bright Lyman-break galaxies at z ≃ 7 the peak of the star formation is typically hosted by the fainter, redder, regions in the rest-frame UV, which have an obscured fraction of fobs ≥ 0.8. As well as demonstrating the importance of dust obscured star formation within the Epoch of Reionization, these observations provide an exciting taster of the rich spatially resolved data sets that will be obtained from JWST and high-resolution ALMA follow-up at these redshifts.
ABSTRACT
We present and analyse 12CO, 13CO, and C18O(2–1) ALMA observations of the C1 globule inside the Helix nebula in order to determine its physical properties. Our findings confirm the molecular ...nature of the globule with a multipeak structure. The 12CO line has a high optical depth τ ∼10. The derived 12C/13C∼10 and 16O/18O∼115 ratios are not in agreement with the expected isotopic ratios of carbon-rich AGB stars. Assuming that the 12CO optical depth has been underestimated, we can find a consistent fit for an initial mass of 2 M⊙. We obtain a molecular mass of $\sim 2\, \times 10^{-4}\, \mbox{M}_\odot$ for the C1 globule, which is much higher than its mass in the literature. Clumping could play a role in the high molecular mass of the knot. The origin of the tail is discussed. Our findings show that the most probable model appears to be shadowing. The kinematics and molecular morphology of the knot are not consistent with a wind-swept model and the photoevaporation model alone is not enough to explain the nature of the globule. We propose an integrated model where the effects of the photoevaporation, the stream, and shadowing models are all considered in the tail shaping process.
ABSTRACT This study presents a detailed analysis of the GAL045.804 − 0.356 massive star-forming clump. A high-angular resolution and sensitivity observations were conducted using MeerKAT at 1.28 GHz ...and ALMA interferometer at 1.3 mm. Two distinct centimetre radio continuum emissions (source A and source B) were identified within the clump. A comprehensive investigation was carried out on source A, the G45.804 − 0.355 star-forming region (SFR) due to its association with Extended Green Object (EGO), 6.7 GHz methanol maser and the spatial coincidence with the peak of the dust continuum emission at 870 µm. The ALMA observations revealed seven dense dust condensations (MM1–MM7) in source A. The brightest (Sν ∼ 87 mJy) and massive main dense core, MM1, was co-located with the 6.7 GHz methanol maser. Explorations into the kinematics revealed gas motions characterized by a velocity gradient across the MM1 core. Furthermore, molecular line emission showed the presence of an extended arm-like structure, with a physical size of 0.25 pc × 0.18 pc (∼ 50 000 au × 30 000 au) at a distance of 7.3 kpc. Amongst these arms, two arms were prominently identified in both the dust continuum and some of the molecular lines. A blue-shifted absorption P-Cygni profile was seen in the H2CO line spectrum. The findings of this study are both intriguing and new, utilizing data from MeerKAT and ALMA to investigate the characteristics of the AGAL45 clump. The evidence of spiral arms, the compact nature of the EGO and < 2 km s−1 velocity gradient are all indicative of G45.804 − 0.355 being oriented face-on.
Context.
The infrared dark cloud (IRDC) SDC335.579-0.292 (hereafter, SDC335) is a massive (~5000
M
⊙
) star-forming cloud which has been found to be globally collapsing towards one of the most ...massive star forming cores in the Galaxy, which is located at its centre. SDC335 is known to host three high-mass protostellar objects at early stages of their evolution and archival ALMA Cycle 0 data (at ~5′′ resolution) indicate the presence of at least one molecular outflow in the region detected in HNC. Observations of molecular outflows from massive protostellar objects allow us to estimate the accretion rates of the protostars as well as to assess the disruptive impact that stars have on their natal clouds during their formation.
Aims.
The aim of this work is to identify and analyse the properties of the protostellar-driven molecular outflows within SDC335 and use these outflows to help refine the properties of the young massive protostars in this cloud.
Methods.
We imaged the molecular outflows in SDC335 using new data from the Australia Telescope Compact Array of SiO and Class I CH
3
OH maser emission (at a resolution of ~3′′) alongside observations of four CO transitions made with the Atacama Pathfinder EXperiment and archival Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) CO,
13
CO (~1′′), and HNC data. We introduced a generalised argument to constrain outflow inclination angles based on observed outflow properties. We then used the properties of each outflow to infer the accretion rates on the protostellar sources driving them. These accretion properties allowed us to deduce the evolutionary characteristics of the sources. Shock-tracing SiO emission and CH
3
OH Class I maser emission allowed us to locate regions of interaction between the outflows and material infalling to the central region via the filamentary arms of SDC335.
Results.
We identify three molecular outflows in SDC335 – one associated with each of the known compact H
II
regions in the IRDC. These outflows have velocity ranges of ~10 km s
−1
and temperatures of ~60 K. The two most massive sources (separated by ~9000 AU) have outflows with axes which are, in projection, perpendicular. A well-collimated jet-like structure with a velocity gradient of ~155 km s
−1
pc
−1
is detected in the lobes of one of the outflows. The outflow properties show that the SDC335 protostars are in the early stages (Class 0) of their evolution, with the potential to form stars in excess of 50
M
⊙
. The measured total accretion rate, inferred from the outflows, onto the protostars is 1.4(±0.1) × 10
−3
M
⊙
yr
−1
, which is comparable to the total mass infall rate toward the cloud centre on parsec scales of 2.5(±1.0) × 10
−3
M
⊙
yr
−1
, suggesting a near-continuous flow of material from cloud to core scales. Finally, we identify multiple regions where the outflows interact with the infalling material in the cloud’s six filamentary arms, creating shocked regions and pumping Class I methanol maser emission. These regions provide useful case studies for future investigations of the disruptive effect of young massive stars on their natal clouds.
ABSTRACT
Infrared dark clouds (IRDCs) are potential hosts of the elusive early phases of high mass star formation (HMSF). Here, we conduct an in-depth analysis of the fragmentation properties of a ...sample of 10 IRDCs, which have been highlighted as some of the best candidates to study HMSF within the Milky Way. To do so, we have obtained a set of large mosaics covering these IRDCs with Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) at Band 3 (or 3 mm). These observations have a high angular resolution (∼3 arcsec; ∼0.05 pc), and high continuum and spectral line sensitivity (∼0.15 mJy beam−1 and ∼0.2 K per 0.1 km s−1 channel at the N2H+ (1 − 0) transition). From the dust continuum emission, we identify 96 cores ranging from low to high mass (M = 3.4−50.9 M⊙) that are gravitationally bound (αvir = 0.3−1.3) and which would require magnetic field strengths of B = 0.3−1.0 mG to be in virial equilibrium. We combine these results with a homogenized catalogue of literature cores to recover the hierarchical structure within these clouds over four orders of magnitude in spatial scale (0.01–10 pc). Using supplementary observations at an even higher angular resolution, we find that the smallest fragments (<0.02 pc) within this hierarchy do not currently have the mass and/or the density required to form high-mass stars. None the less, the new ALMA observations presented in this paper have facilitated the identification of 19 (6 quiescent and 13 star-forming) cores that retain >16 M⊙ without further fragmentation. These high-mass cores contain trans-sonic non-thermal motions, are kinematically sub-virial, and require moderate magnetic field strengths for support against collapse. The identification of these potential sites of HMSF represents a key step in allowing us to test the predictions from high-mass star and cluster formation theories.
We present the fifth portion of an unbiased survey of the Galactic plane, |b| ≤ 2°, for 6668-MHz methanol masers. This section of the survey completes the Galactic longitude range visible to the ...Parkes radio telescope, incorporating the longitude range 20°–60°. Within this section of the survey we find 265 methanol masers, 64 new to the survey, bringing the total number of methanol masers detected across the full longitude coverage (186°, through 0°, to 60°) to 972 sources.
We present the fourth portion of a Galactic plane survey of methanol masers at 6668 MHz, spanning the longitude range 186°-330°. We report 207 maser detections, 89 new to the survey. This completes ...the southern sky part of the methanol multibeam survey and includes a large proportion of new sources, 43 per cent. We also include results from blind observations of the Orion-Monoceros star-forming region, formally outside the latitude range of the methanol multibeam survey; only the four previously known methanol emitting sites were detected, of which we present new positions and spectra for masers at Orion A (south) and Orion B, obtained with the Multi-Element Radio Linked Interferometer Network (MERLIN) array.
ABSTRACT
The formation mechanism of the most massive stars is far from completely understood. It is still unclear if the formation is core-fed or clump-fed, i.e. if the process is an extension of ...what happens in low-mass stars, or if the process is more dynamical such as a continuous, multiscale accretion from the gas at parsec (or even larger) scales. In this context, we introduce the SQUALO project, an ALMA 1.3 and 3 mm survey designed to investigate the properties of 13 massive clumps selected at various evolutionary stages, with the common feature that they all show evidence for accretion at the clump scale. In this work, we present the results obtained from the 1.3 mm continuum data. Our observations identify 55 objects with masses in the range 0.4 ≤ M ≤ 309 M⊙, with evidence that the youngest clumps already present some degree of fragmentation. The data show that physical properties such as mass and surface density of the fragments and their parent clumps are tightly correlated. The minimum distance between fragments decreases with evolution, suggesting a dynamical scenario in which massive clumps first fragment under the influence of non-thermal motions driven by the competition between turbulence and gravity. With time gravitational collapse takes over and the fragments organize themselves into more thermally supported objects while continuing to accrete from their parent clump. Finally, one source does not fragment, suggesting that the support of other mechanisms (such as magnetic fields) is crucial only in specific star-forming regions.
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