YOUNG STELLAR OBJECTS IN THE LARGE MAGELLANIC CLOUD STAR-FORMING REGION N206

Abstract

We present analysis of the energetic star-forming region Henize 206 (N206) located near the southern edge of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) based on photometric data from the Spitzer Surveying the Agents of Galaxy Evolution (SAGE-LMC; IRAC 3.6, 4.5, 5.8, 8.0 μm and MIPS 24 μm), Infrared Survey Facility near-infrared survey (J, H, Ks), and the Magellanic Clouds Photometric Survey (MCPS UBVI) covering a wavelength range of 0.36–24 μm. Young stellar object (YSO) candidates are identified based upon their location in infrared color–magnitude space and classified by the shapes of their spectral energy distributions in comparison with a pre-computed grid of YSO models. We identify 116 YSO candidates: 102 are well characterized by the YSO models, predominately Stage I, and 14 may be multiple sources or young sources with transition disks. Careful examination of the individual sources and their surrounding environment allows us to identify a factor of ∼14.5 more YSO candidates than have already been identified. The total mass of these well-fit YSO candidates is ∼520 M☉. We calculate a current star formation rate of 0.27 × 10−1 M☉ yr−1 kpc−2. The distribution of YSO candidates appears to follow shells of neutral material in the interstellar medium.