Galactic Star Formation with NIKA2 (GASTON): Evidence of mass accretion onto dense clumps

Andrew Rigby ,M Muñoz-Echeverría ,H Aussel ,H Roussel ,S Doyle ,E Artis ,A Sievers ,G Pisano ,A Ritacco ,H Ajeddig ,A Bracco ,V Revéret ,Pablo Rodríguez García ,A Bacmann ,A Benoı̂t ,O Bourrion ,B Ladjelate ,F Ruppin ,C Krämer ,A Maury ,M Calvo ,Philip Mauskopf ,C Tucker ,A Beelen ,F Kéruzoré ,P André ,A Monfardini ,I Ristorcelli ,E F C Driessen ,L Bing ,A Catalano ,L Perotto ,F.-X Désert ,F Mayet ,S Berta ,Elizabeth J Watkins ,S Leclercq ,C Romero ,A Gómez ,K Schuster ,M De Petris ,S Shu ,R Adam ,J F Macías-Pérez ,Peter A R Ade ,G Lagache ,J Goupy ,J.-F Lestrade ,Michael Anderson ,N Ponthieu ,N Peretto ,R Zylka

doi:10.1051/epjconf/202225700041

Abstract

High-mass stars (m* ≳ 8 M⊙) play a crucial role in the evolution of galaxies, and so it is imperative that we understand how they are formed. We have used the New IRAM KIDs Array 2 (NIKA2) camera on the Institut de Radio Astronomie Millimétrique (IRAM) 30-m telescope to conduct high-sensitivity continuum mapping of ~ 2 deg2 of the Galactic plane (GP) as part of the Galactic Star Formation with NIKA2 (GASTON) large program. We have identified a total of 1467 clumps within our deep 1.15 mm continuum maps and, by using overlapping continuum, molecular line, and maser parallax data, we have determined their distances and physical properties. By placing them upon an approximate evolutionary sequence based upon 8 μm Spitzer imaging, we find evidence that the most massive dense clumps accrete material from their surrounding environment during their early evolution, before dispersing as star formation advances, supporting clump-fed models of high-mass star formation.

Highlights

Obtaining an understanding of the origin of the stellar initial mass function (IMF) is one of the most important goals of contemporary astrophysics
This core-fed scenario may be insufficient outside these mass limits; some observations [e.g. 6, 7] and simulations [e.g. 8, 9] suggest that high-mass star formation requires the large infall rates found at the centres of globally-collapsing molecular clouds in a clump-fed scenario, while brown dwarf-formation may require processes such as dynamical ejection from multiple star systems [10] or circumstellar disc fragmentation [11]
Peretto) is conducting deep mapping of a region of the Galactic plane that is rich in high-mass star formation, in addition to surveying more nearby clouds for pre-brown dwarfs, whilst exploiting the dual waveband capabilities of New Institut de Radio Astronomie Millimétrique (IRAM) KIDs Array 2 (NIKA2) on the IRAM 30-m telescope to study potential environmental variations in dust properties

Summary

Introduction

Obtaining an understanding of the origin of the stellar initial mass function (IMF) is one of the most important goals of contemporary astrophysics. Peretto) is conducting deep mapping of a region of the Galactic plane that is rich in high-mass star formation, in addition to surveying more nearby clouds for pre-brown dwarfs, whilst exploiting the dual waveband capabilities of NIKA2 on the IRAM 30-m telescope to study potential environmental variations in dust properties.

Results

Conclusion