OB star formation and H I production in molecular clouds in M33

Abstract

view Abstract Citations (15) References (20) Co-Reads Similar Papers Volume Content Graphics Metrics Export Citation NASA/ADS OB Star Formation and H i Production in Molecular Clouds in M33 Wilson, Christine D. ; Scoville, Nick Abstract For a sample of 38 resolved molecular clouds in M33, new Hα data and previously published high-resolution H I maps are analyzed to study the star formation properties of the clouds and the cycle of the gas from one phase of the interstellar medium to another. Roughly 2/3 of the molecular clouds with M > 0.5 x 10^5^ M_sun_ show recent massive star formation as traced by the Hα emission. The high- mass star formation rates for the individual clouds range from 5 x 10^-6^ to 5 x 10^-4^ M_sun_ yr^-1^. The photodissociating flux produced by these stars is sufficient to produce the amount of atomic gas seen near the molecular clouds if the molecular clouds have a clumped structure. In addition, the relative offset of the H I and the CO peaks in the southern spiral arm is not consistent with the picture in which the atomic gas condenses in the arms to form the molecular clouds, since the H I emission appears most strongly on the downstream side of the molecular gas. The atomic hydrogen column density predicted to be associated with the mantles of molecular clouds can account for the mean H I column density seen in the inner disk of M33. Publication: The Astrophysical Journal Pub Date: March 1991 DOI: 10.1086/169803 Bibcode: 1991ApJ...370..184W Keywords: B Stars; Molecular Clouds; O Stars; Spiral Galaxies; Star Formation; Galactic Structure; H Alpha Line; Interstellar Gas; Interstellar Matter; Photodissociation; Astrophysics; GALAXIES: INDIVIDUAL MESSIER NUMBER: M33; GALAXIES: INTERSTELLAR MATTER; INTERSTELLAR: MOLECULES; STARS: FORMATION full text sources ADS | data products SIMBAD (2) NED (1)