A Census of Stars and Disks in Corona Australis*

We have refined the census of stars and brown dwarfs in the Upper Sco association (~ 10 Myr, ~145 pc) by 1) updating the selection of candidate members from our previous survey to include the high-precision astrometry from the second data release of Gaia, 2) obtaining spectra of a few hundred candidate members to measure their spectral types and verify their youth, and 3) assessing the membership (largely with Gaia astrometry) of 2020 stars toward Upper Sco that show evidence of youth in this work and previous studies. We arrive at a catalog of 1761 objects that are adopted as members of Upper Sco. The distribution of spectral types among the adopted members is similar to those in other nearby star-forming regions, indicating a similar initial mass function. In previous studies, we have compiled mid-infrared photometry from WISE and the Spitzer Space Telescope for members of Upper Sco and used those data to identify the stars that show evidence of circumstellar disks; we present the same analysis for our new catalog of members. As in earlier work, we find that the fraction of members with disks increases with lower stellar masses, ranging from ≲ 10% for > 1 M ⊙ to ~ 22% for 0.01-0.3 M ⊙. Finally, we have estimated the relative ages of Upper Sco and other young associations using their sequences of low-mass stars in versus G BP - G RP. This comparison indicates that Upper Sco is a factor of two younger than the β Pic association (21-24 Myr) according to both non-magnetic and magnetic evolutionary models.

We present 450 and 850 $\mu$m James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) observations of the Corona Australis (CrA) molecular cloud taken as part of the JCMT Gould Belt Legacy Survey (GBLS). We present a catalogue of 39 starless and protostellar sources, for which we determine source temperatures and masses using SCUBA-2 450 $\mu$m/850 $\mu$m flux density ratios for sources with reliable 450 $\mu$m detections, and compare these to values determined using temperatures measured by the Herschel Gould Belt Survey (HGBS). In keeping with previous studies, we find that SCUBA-2 preferentially detects high-volume-density starless cores, which are most likely to be prestellar (gravitationally bound). We do not observe any anticorrelation between temperature and volume density in the starless cores in our sample. Finally, we combine our SCUBA-2 and Herschel data to perform SED fitting from 160–850 $\mu$m across the central Coronet region, thereby measuring dust temperature T, dust emissivity index $\beta$, and column density $N({\rm H}_2)$ across the Coronet. We find that $\beta$ varies across the Coronet, particularly measuring $\beta = 1.55 \pm 0.35$ in the colder starless SMM-6 clump to the north of the B star R CrA. This relatively low value of $\beta$ is suggestive of the presence of large dust grains in SMM-6, even when considering the effects of $T\!-\!\beta$ fitting degeneracy and $^{12}$CO contamination of SCUBA-2 850 $\mu$m data on the measured $\beta$ values.

We uncover the H2 flows in the Corona Australis molecular cloud and in\nparticular identify the flows from the Coronet cluster. Near-infrared H2 v=1--0\nS(1), 2.12micron-line, narrow-band imaging survey of the R CrA cloud core was\ncarried out. We identify the best candidate-driving source for each outflow by\ncomparing the flow properties, available proper motions, and the\nknown/estimated properties of the driving sources. We also adopted the\nthumbrule of outflow power as proportional to source luminosity and inversely\nproportional to the source age to reach a consensus.\n Results: Continuum-subtracted, narrow-band images reveal several new\nMolecular Hydrogen emission-line Objects (MHOs). Together with previously known\nMHOs and Herbig-Haro objects we catalog at least 14 individual flow components\nof which 11 appear to be driven by the RCrA aggregate members. The flows\noriginating in the Coronet cluster have lengths of ~0.1-0.2 pc. Eight out of\nnine submillimeter cores mapped in the Coronet cluster region display embedded\nstars driving an outflow component. Roughly 80% of the youngest objects in the\nCoronet are associated with outflows. The MHO flows to the west of the Coronet\ndisplay lobes moving to the west and vice-versa, resulting in nondetections of\nthe counter lobe in our deep imaging. We speculate that these counterflows may\nbe experiencing a stunting effect in penetrating the dense central core.\n Conclusions:Although this work has reduced the ambiguities for many flows in\nthe Coronet region, one of the brightest H2 feature (MHO2014) and a few fainter\nfeatures in the region remain unassociated with a clear driving source. The\nflows from Coronet, therefore, continue to be interesting targets for future\nstudies.\n

Context. The substellar initial mass function (IMF) and the formation mechanisms of brown dwarfs (BDs) remain key open questions in star formation theory. A detailed census and characterization of the IMF in a large number of star-forming regions are essential for constraining these processes. Aims. We identify and spectroscopically confirm very low-mass members of the Corona Australis (CrA) star-forming region to refine its substellar census, determine its low-mass IMF, and compare it to other clusters. Methods. Using deep I-band photometry from Suprime-Cam/Subaru and data from the VISTA Hemisphere Survey (VHS), we identified low-mass BD candidates in CrA. We subsequently conducted near-infrared spectroscopic follow-up of 173 of these candidates with KMOS/VLT, and we also obtained optical spectra for eight kinematic candidate members identified via Gaia data using FLOYDS/LCO. Results. The kinematic candidates observed with optical spectroscopy are confirmed as low-mass stellar members with spectral types M1 to M5. In contrast, all 173 BD candidates observed with KMOS are identified as contaminants. Although the follow-up yielded no new substellar members, it places strong constraints on the number of undetected substellar objects in the region. Combined with literature data, this enables us to derive the substellar IMF, which is consistent with a single power-law slope of α = 0.95 ± 0.06 in the range 0.01–1 M⊙ or α = 0.33 ± 0.19 in the range 0.01–0.1 M⊙. The star-to-BD ratio in CrA is ∼2. We also provide updated IMFs and star-to-BD ratios for Lupus 3 and Cha I from the SONYC survey, reflecting revised distances from Gaia. Finally, we estimate surface densities and median far-ultraviolet fluxes for six star-forming regions and clusters to characterize their environments and compare their substellar populations as a function of environmental properties. Conclusions. The IMF and star-to-BD ratio show no clear dependence on stellar density or ionizing flux from the massive stars. A combined effect in which one factor enhances and the other suppresses BD formation also appears unlikely.

We study the kinematics of the recently discovered Corona Australis (CrA) chain of clusters by examining the 3D space motion of its young stars using Gaia DR3 and APOGEE-2 data. While we observe linear expansion between the clusters in the Cartesian XY directions, the expansion along Z exhibits a curved pattern. To our knowledge, this is the first time such a nonlinear velocity–position relation has been observed for stellar clusters. We propose a scenario to explain our findings, in which the observed gradient is caused by stellar feedback, accelerating the gas away from the Galactic plane. A traceback analysis confirms that the CrA star formation complex was located near the central clusters of the Scorpius Centaurus (Sco-Cen) OB association 10–15 Myr ago. It contains massive stars and thus offers a natural source of feedback. Based on the velocity of the youngest unbound CrA cluster, we estimate that a median number of about two supernovae would have been sufficient to inject the present-day kinetic energy of the CrA molecular cloud. This number agrees with that of recent studies. The head-tail morphology of the CrA molecular cloud further supports the proposed feedback scenario, in which a feedback force pushed the primordial cloud from the Galactic north, leading to the current separation of 100 pc from the center of Sco-Cen. The formation of spatially and temporally well-defined star formation patterns, such as the CrA chain of clusters, is likely a common process in massive star-forming regions.

We present a catalogue of prestellar and starless cores within the Corona Australis molecular cloud using photometric data from the Herschel Space Observatory. At a distance of d ~ 130 pc, Corona Australis is one of the closest star-forming regions. Herschel has taken multi-wavelength data of Corona Australis with both the Spectral and Photometric Imaging Receiver (SPIRE) and the Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer (PACS) photometric cameras in a parallel mode with wavelengths in the range 70–500 μm. A complete sample of starless and prestellar cores and embedded protostars is identified. Other results from the Herschel Gould Belt Survey have shown spatial correlation between the distribution of dense cores and the filamentary structure within the molecular clouds. We go further and show correlations between the properties of these cores and their spatial distribution within the clouds, with a particular focus on the mass distribution of the dense cores with respect to their filamentary proximity. We find that only lower-mass starless cores form away from filaments, while all of the higher-mass prestellar cores form in close proximity to or directly on the filamentary structure. This result supports the paradigm that prestellar cores mostly form on filaments. We analyse the mass distribution across the molecular cloud, finding evidence that the region around the Coronet appears to be at a more dynamically advanced evolutionary stage in comparison to the rest of the clumps within the cloud.

Context. During the journey from the cloud to the disc, the chemical composition of the protostellar envelope material can be either preserved or processed to varying degrees depending on the surrounding physical environment. Aims. This works aims to constrain the interplay of solid (ice) and gaseous methanol (CH3OH) in the outer regions of protostellar envelopes located in the Coronet cluster in Corona Australis (CrA), and assess the importance of irradiation by the Herbig Ae/Be star R CrA. CH3OH is a prime test case as it predominantly forms as a consequence of the solid-gas interplay (hydrogenation of condensed CO molecules onto the grain surfaces) and it plays an important role in future complex molecular processing. Methods. We present 1.3 mm Submillimeter Array (SMA) and Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX) observations towards the envelopes of four low-mass protostars in the Coronet cluster. Eighteen molecular transitions of seven species were identified. We calculated CH3OH gas-to-ice ratios in this strongly irradiated cluster and compared them with ratios determined towards protostars located in less irradiated regions such as Serpens SVS 4 in Serpens Main and the Barnard 35A cloud in the λ Orionis region. Results. The CH3OH gas-to-ice ratios in the Coronet cluster vary by one order of magnitude (from 1.2 × 10−4 to 3.1 × 10−3) which is similar to less irradiated regions as found in previous studies. We find that the CH3OH gas-to-ice ratios estimated in these three regions are remarkably similar despite the different UV radiation field intensities and formation histories. Conclusions. This result suggests that the overall CH3OH chemistry in the outer regions of low-mass envelopes is relatively independent of variations in the physical conditions and hence that it is set during the prestellar stage.

The initial density of individual star-forming regions (and by extension the birth environment of planetary systems) is difficult to constrain due to the ‘density degeneracy problem’: an initially dense region expands faster than a more quiescent region due to two-body relaxation and so two regions with the same observed present-day density may have had very different initial densities. We constrain the initial densities of seven nearby star-forming regions by folding in information on their spatial structure from the |$\mathcal {Q}$|-parameter and comparing the structure and present-day density to the results of N-body simulations. This in turn places strong constraints on the possible effects of dynamical interactions and radiation fields from massive stars on multiple systems and protoplanetary discs. We apply our method to constrain the initial binary population in each of these seven regions and show that the populations in only three – the Orion Nebula Cluster, ρ Oph, and Corona Australis – are consistent with having evolved from the Kroupa universal initial period distribution and a binary fraction of unity.

SONYC -- Substellar Objects in Nearby Young Clusters -- is a survey program to investigate the frequency and properties of substellar objects in nearby star-forming regions. We present a new imaging and spectroscopic survey conducted in the young (~1 Myr), nearby (~200 pc) star-forming region Lupus 3. Deep optical and near-infrared images were obtained with MOSAIC-II and NEWFIRM at the CTIO-4m telescope, covering ~1.4 sqdeg on the sky. The i-band completeness limit of 20.3 mag is equivalent to 0.009-0.02 MSun, for Av \leq 5. Photometry and 11-12 yr baseline proper motions were used to select candidate low-mass members of Lupus 3. We performed spectroscopic follow-up of 123 candidates, using VIMOS at the Very Large Telescope (VLT), and identify 7 probable members, among which 4 have spectral type later than M6.0 and Teff \leq 3000K, i.e. are probably substellar in nature. Two of the new probable members of Lupus 3 appear underluminous for their spectral class and exhibit emission line spectrum with strong Halpha or forbidden lines associated with active accretion. We derive a relation between the spectral type and effective temperature: Teff=(4120 +- 175) - (172 +- 26) x SpT, where SpT refers to the M spectral subtype between 1 and 9. Combining our results with the previous works on Lupus 3, we show that the spectral type distribution is consistent with that in other star forming regions, as well as is the derived star-to-BD ratio of 2.0-3.3. We compile a census of all spectroscopically confirmed low-mass members with spectral type M0 or later.

Low-mass stars and substellar objects are essential in tracing the initial mass function (IMF). We study the nearby young σ Orionis cluster (d ∼ 408 pc, age ∼ 1.8 Myr) using deep near-infrared (NIR) photometric data in the J, W, and H bands from WIRCam on the Canada–France–Hawaii Telescope. We use the water absorption feature to select brown dwarfs photometrically and confirm their nature spectroscopically with IRTF-SpeX. Additionally we select candidate low-mass stars for spectroscopy and analyze their membership and those of literature sources using astrometry from Gaia DR3. We obtain NIR spectra for 28 very-low-mass stars and brown dwarfs and estimate their spectral type between M3 and M8.5 (masses ranging between 0.3 and 0.01 M ⊙). Apart from these, we also identify five new planetary-mass candidates which require further spectroscopic confirmation of youth. We compile a comprehensive catalog of 170 spectroscopically confirmed members in the central region of the cluster, for a wide mass range of ∼19–0.004 M ☉. We estimate the star-to-brown-dwarf ratio to be ∼4, within the range reported for other nearby star-forming regions. With the updated catalog of members we trace the IMF down to 4 M Jup and we find that a two-segment power law fits the substellar IMF better than a log-normal distribution.

I present infrared spectroscopy of 37 brown dwarf candidates in the Upper Scorpius (Upper Sco) association, 35 of which are classified as young and cool, making them likely members. This sample includes many of the faintest spectroscopically confirmed members (K = 16–17 mag), which should have masses down to ∼0.007–0.01 M ⊙ for the range of ages in Upper Sco (7–14 Myr). Using my updated membership catalog for Upper Sco, I have estimated the initial mass function (IMF) for a field in the center of the association that encompasses ∼80% of the known members. I have derived IMFs in the same manner for previous membership samples in three other star-forming populations, consisting of IC 348, Taurus, and Chameleon I. When using logarithmic mass bins, the substellar IMFs for Upper Sco and the other young regions are roughly flat down to the completeness limits of ∼0.01 M ⊙. These IMFs are broadly similar to mass functions recently measured for the solar neighborhood. Finally, I have used W1−W2 colors to search for excess emission from circumstellar disks among the late-type objects in my new census of Upper Sco. I measure an excess fraction of 52/200 for members with spectral types of M6.25–M9.5, which is similar to results from previous membership catalogs. For the L-type members, it is difficult to detect the small W2 excess emission produced by typical disks around brown dwarfs because of the large uncertainties in spectral types, which preclude accurate estimates of the photospheric colors. Thus, W2 photometry provides poor constraints on the presence of disks for the L-type members of Upper Sco.

As part of the ongoing effort to characterize the low-mass (sub)stellar population in a sample of massive young clusters, we have targeted the ~2 Myr old cluster NGC 2244. The distance to NGC 2244 from Gaia DR2 parallaxes is 1.59 kpc, with errors of 1% (statistical) and 11% (systematic). We used the Flamingos-2 near-infrared camera at the Gemini-South telescope for deep multi-band imaging of the central portion of the cluster (~2.4pc^2). We determined membership in a statistical manner, through a comparison of the cluster's color-magnitude diagram to that of a control field. Masses and extinctions of the candidate members are then calculated with the help of evolutionary models, leading to the first initial mass function (IMF) of the cluster extending into the substellar regime, with the 90\% completeness limit around 0.02 Msun. The IMF is well represented by a broken power law (dN/dM \propto M^{-alpha}), with a break at ~0.4 Msun. The slope on the high mass side (0.4 - 7 Msun) is alpha=2.12+-0.08, close to the standard Salpeter slope. In the low-mass range (0.02 - 0.4 Msun), we find a slope alpha=1.03+-0.02, which is at the high end of the typical values obtained in nearby star-forming regions (alpha=0.5-1.0), but still in agreement within the uncertainties. Our results reveal no clear evidence for variations in the formation efficiency of brown dwarfs and very low-mass stars due to the presence of OB stars, or for a change in stellar densities. Our finding rules out photoevaporation and fragmentation of infalling filaments as substantial pathways for brown dwarf formation.

We present Spitzer Space Telescope IRAC and MIPS observations of a 0.85 deg^2 field including the Corona Australis (CrA) star-forming region. At a distance of 130 pc, CrA is one of the closest regions known to be actively forming stars, particularly within its embedded association, the Coronet. Using the Spitzer data, we identify 51 young stellar objects (YSOs) in CrA which include sources in the well-studied Coronet cluster as well as distributed throughout the molecular cloud. Twelve of the YSOs discussed are new candidates, one of which is located in the Coronet. Known YSOs retrieved from the literature are also added to the list, and a total of 116 candidate YSOs in CrA are compiled. Based on these YSO candidates, the star formation rate is computed to be 12 M_o Myr^-1, similar to that of the Lupus clouds. A clustering analysis was also performed, finding that the main cluster core, consisting of 68 members, is elongated (having an aspect ratio of 2.36), with a circular radius of 0.59 pc and mean surface density of 150 pc^-2. In addition, we analyze outflows and jets in CrA by means of new CO and H_2 data. We present 1.3 mm interferometric continuum observations made with the Submillimeter Array (SMA) covering R CrA, IRS 5, IRS 7, and IRAS 18595-3712 (IRAS 32). We also present multi-epoch H_2 maps and detect jets and outflows, study their proper motions, and identify exciting sources. The Spitzer and ISAAC/VLT observations of IRAS 32 show a bipolar precessing jet, which drives a CO (2-1) outflow detected in the SMA observations. There is also clear evidence for a parsec-scale precessing outflow, E-W oriented, and originating in the SMA 2 region, likely driven by SMA 2 or IRS 7A.

We present multi-wavelength, high spatial resolution imaging of the IRS 7 region in the R Corona Australis molecular cloud. Our observations include 1.1 mm continuum and HCO^+ J = $3 \to 2$ images from the SMA, ^{12}CO J = $3 \to 2$ outflow maps from the DesertStar heterodyne array receiver on the HHT, 450 $\mu$m and 850 $\mu$m continuum images from SCUBA, and archival Spitzer IRAC and MIPS 24 \micron images. The accurate astrometry of the IRAC images allow us to identify IRS 7 with the cm source VLA 10W (IRS 7A) and the X-ray source X_W. The SMA 1.1 mm image reveals two compact continuum sources which are also distinguishable at 450 $\mu$m. SMA 1 coincides with X-ray source CXOU J190156.4-365728 and VLA cm source 10E (IRS 7B) and is seen in the IRAC and MIPS images. SMA 2 has no infrared counterpart but coincides with cm source VLA 9. Spectral energy distributions constructed from SMA, SCUBA and Spitzer data yield bolometric temperatures of 83 K for SMA 1 and $\leq$70 K for SMA 2. These temperatures along with the submillimeter to total luminosity ratios indicate that SMA 2 is a Class 0 protostar, while SMA 1 is a Class 0/Class I transitional object (L=$17\pm6$ \Lsun). The ^{12}CO J = $3 \to 2$ outflow map shows one major and possibly several smaller outflows centered on the IRS 7 region, with masses and energetics consistent with previous work. We identify the Class 0 source SMA 2/VLA 9 as the main driver of this outflow. The complex and clumpy spatial and velocity distribution of the HCO^+ J = $3 \to 2$ emission is not consistent with either bulk rotation, or any known molecular outflow activity.

We present the results of a deep optical survey in the Corona Australis and Chamaeleon II star forming regions. Our optical photometry is combined with available near- and mid-infrared photometry to identify very low-mass candidate members in these dark clouds. In our Chamaeleon II field, only one object exhibits clear Hα emission, but the discrepancy between its optical and near-infrared colours suggests that it might be a foreground star. We also identify two objects without Hα emission that could be planetary mass members of Chamaeleon II. In Corona Australis, we find ten stars and three brown dwarf candidates in the Coronet cluster. Five of our new members are identified with ISOCAM sources. Only two of them have a mid-infrared excess, indicating the presence of an accretion disk. On the other hand, one brown dwarf candidate has a faint close companion, seen only in our deepest I-band image. For many of the candidates in both clouds, membership could not be inferred from their Hα emission or near-infrared colours; these objects need spectroscopic confirmation of their status.