HOW DO MASSIVE STARS FORM? INFALL & OUTFLOW IN DENSE CORES IN THE MILKY WAY

Abstract

Massive stars are some of the most influential objects in the Universe, shaping the evolution of galaxies, creating chemical elements and hence shaping the evolution of the Universe. However, the processes by which they form and how they shape their environment during their birth processes are not well understood. We use NH3 data from ”The H2O Southern Galactic Plane Survey” (HOPS) survey to define the positions of dense cores/clumps of gas in the southern Galactic plane that are likely to form stars. Then, using data from ”The Millimetre Astronomy Legacy Team 90 GHz” (MALT90) survey, we search for the presence of infall and outflow associated with these cores. We subsequently use the ”3D Molecular Line Radiative Transfer Code” (MOLLIE) to constrain properties of the infall and outflow, such as velocity and mass flow. The aim of the project is to determine how common infall and outflow are in star forming cores, and therefore to provide valuable constraints on the timescales and physical process involved in massive star formation. Preliminary results are presented here.