Star-forming Cores Research Articles

Physical Mechanism for the Intermediate Characteristic Stellar Mass in Extremely Metal Poor Environments

If a significant fraction of metals is in dust, star-forming cores with metallicity higher than a critical value ~10−6 to 10−5 Z☉ are able to fragment by dust cooling, thereby producing low-mass cores. Despite being above the critical metallicity, a metallicity range is found to exist around 10−5 to 10−4 Z☉ where low-mass fragmentation is prohibited. In this range, three-body H2 formation starts at low (~100 K) temperature, and thus the resulting heating causes a dramatic temperature jump, which makes the central part of the star-forming core transiently hydrostatic and thus highly spherical. With little elongation, the core does not experience fragmentation in the subsequent dust-cooling phase. The minimum fragmentation mass is set by the Jeans mass just before the H2 formation heating, and its value can be as high as ~10 M☉. For metallicity higher than ~10−4 Z☉, H2 formation is almost completed by the dust-surface reaction before the onset of the three-body reaction, and low-mass star formation becomes possible. This mechanism might explain the higher characteristic mass of metal-poor stars than in the solar neighborhood presumed from the statistics of carbon-enhanced stars.

Molecular Evolution and Star Formation: From Prestellar Cores to Protostellar Cores

We investigate molecular evolution in a star-forming core that is initially a hydrostatic starless core and collapses to form a low-mass protostar. The results of a one-dimensional radiation-hydrodynamics calculation are adopted as a physical model of the core. We first derive radii at which CO and large organic species sublimate. CO sublimation in the central region starts shortly before the formation of the first hydrostatic core. When the protostar is born, the CO sublimation radius extends to 100 AU, and the region inside 10 AU is hotter than 100 K, at which temperature some large organic species evaporate. We calculate the temporal variation of physical parameters in infalling shells, in which the molecular evolution is solved using an updated gas-grain chemical model to derive the spatial distribution of molecules in a protostellar core. The shells pass through the warm region of 10-100 K in several × 104 yr, and fall into the central star ~100 yr after they enter the region where -->T 100 K. We find that large organic species are formed mainly via grain-surface reactions at temperatures of 20-40 K and then desorbed into the gas phase at their sublimation temperatures. Carbon-chain species can be formed by a combination of gas-phase reactions and grain-surface reactions following the sublimation of CH4. Our model also predicts that CO2 is more abundant in isolated cores, while gas-phase large organic species are more abundant in cores embedded in ambient clouds.

Dense Molecular Gas in a Young Cluster around MWC 1080: Rule of the Massive Star

We present CS -->J = 2→ 1,13CO -->J = 1→ 0, and C18O -->J = 1→ 0, observations with the 10 element Berkeley Illinois Maryland Association (BIMA) array toward the young cluster around the Be star MWC 1080. These observations reveal a biconical outflow cavity with size ~0.3 and 0.05 pc for the semimajor and semiminor axis and ~45° position angle. These transitions trace the dense gas, which is likely the swept-up gas of the outflow cavity, rather than the remaining natal gas or the outflow gas. The gas is clumpy; 32 clumps are identified. The identified clumps are approximately gravitationally bound and consistent with a standard isothermal sphere density, which suggests that they are likely collapsing protostellar cores. The gas kinematics suggests that velocity gradients exist that imply effects from the inclination of the cavity and MWC 1080. The kinematics of dense gas has also been affected by either outflows or stellar winds from MWC 1080, and lower mass clumps are possibly under stronger effects from MWC 1080 than higher mass clumps. In addition, low-mass cluster members tend to be formed in the denser and more turbulent cores, compared to isolated low-mass star-forming cores. This results from the contributions of nearby forming massive stars, such as outflows or stellar winds. Therefore, we conclude that in clusters like the MWC 1080 system, effects from massive stars dominate the star-forming environment in both the kinematics and dynamics of the natal cloud and the formation of low-mass cluster members. This study provides insights into the effects of MWC 1080 on its natal cloud, and suggests a different low-mass star-forming environment in clusters compared to isolated star formation.

Abundant Carbon‐Chain Molecules toward the Low‐Mass Protostar IRAS 04368+2557 in L1527

We have detected the high-excitation lines of carbon-chain molecules such as C4H2 (J = 100,10–90,9), C4H (N = 9–8, F1, F2), l-C3H2 (41,3-31,2), and CH3CCH (J = 5–4, K = 2) toward a low-mass star-forming region, L1527. In particular, the F1 line of C4H is as strong as 1.7 K (TMB). The rotational temperature of C4H2 is determined to be 12.3 ± 0.8 K, which is higher than that in TMC-1 (3.8 K). Furthermore, the column density of C4H2 is derived to be about 1/4 of that in TMC-1, indicating that carbon-chain molecules are abundant in L1527 for a star-forming region. Small mapping observations show that the C4H, C4H2, and c-C3H2 emissions are distributed from the infalling envelope to the inner part. Furthermore, we have detected the lines of C5H, HC7N, and HC9N in the 20 GHz region. Since the carbon-chain molecules are generally deficient in star-forming cores, the above results cannot simply be explained by the existing chemical models. The following hypothesis is proposed. If the timescale of the prestellar collapse in L1527 were shorter than those of the other star-forming cores, the carbon-chain molecules could survive in the central part of the core. In addition, regeneration processes of the carbon-chain molecules due to star formation activities would play an important role. Evaporation of CH4 from the grain mantles would drive the regeneration processes. The present observations show new chemistry in a warm and dense region near the protostars, which is named "warm carbon-chain chemistry (WCCC)."

The formation of star clusters - II. 3D simulations of magnetohydrodynamic turbulence in molecular clouds

(Abridged) We present a series of decaying turbulence simulations that represent a cluster-forming clump within a molecular cloud, investigating the role of magnetic fields on the formation of potential star-forming cores. We present an exhaustive analysis of numerical data from these simulations that includes a compilation of all of the distributions of physical properties that characterize bound cores - including their masses, radii, mean densities, angular momenta, spins, magnetizations, and mass-to-flux ratios. We also present line maps of our models that can be compared with observations. Our simulations range between 5-30 Jeans masses of gas, and are representative of molecular cloud clumps with masses between 100-1000 solar masses. The cores have mass-to-flux ratios that are generally less than that of the original cloud, and so a cloud that is initially highly supercritical can produce cores that are slightly supercritical, similar to that seen by Zeeman measurements of molecular cloud cores. Clouds that are initially only slightly supercritical will instead collapse along the field lines into sheets, and the cores that form as these sheets fragment have a different mass spectrum than what is observed. The spin rates of these cores suggests that subsequent fragmentation into multiple systems is likely. The sizes of the bound cores that are produced are typically 0.02-0.2 pc and have densities in the range 10^4-10^5 cm^{-3} in agreement with observational surveys. Finally, our numerical data allow us to test theoretical models of the mass spectrum of cores, such as the turbulent fragmentation picture of Padoan-Nordlund. We find that while this model gets the shape of the core mass spectrum reasonably well, it fails to predict the peak mass in the core mass spectrum.

An Observational Study of the Physical Properties of Star-forming Molecular Cores

We used the 13.7 m millimeter-wave telescope of the Qinghai Station of Purple Mountain Observatory at Delingha to carry out simultaneous mapping observations in the 12CO( J = 1 − 0), 13CO( J = 1 − 0) and CO 18 ( J = 1 − 0) lines towards 11 isolated star-forming molecular cores selected from the sample of Spitzer's c2d program. For all three lines, these sources were all observed to the positions of half the peak intensity of the 13CO( J = 1 − 0) line. The volume density, local thermodynamic equilibrium mass M LTE and virial mass M VIR were derived for each of the molecular cores. The obtained ratio of M VIR to M LTE is 0.85 ± 0.40 for the 13CO( J = 1 − 0) cores and 0.77 ± 0.35 for the CO 18 ( J = 1 − 0) cores. The density profiles of the cloud cores were also calculated.

Observational Characteristics of the First Protostellar Cores

Abstract First protostellar cores are young stellar objects in the earliest evolutionary stage. They are hydrostatic objects formed soon after the central portions of star-forming cores become optically thick to dust emission. We consider their characteristics in the emitted radiation, and discuss their evolution with increasing mass of the cores. Particular attention is paid to detailed radiative and chemical processes in the postshock relaxation layer located at the surface of the core, where the majority of radiation is emitted. Most of the radiation is originally emitted in the dust continuum in mid-infrared wavelength ($\sim$ 10–30 $\mu$m), which reprocessed to far-infrared with $\sim$ 100–200 $\mu$m. Although some fraction ($\sim$ 0.1) of the radiation energy is emitted in the H$_2$O lines at the accretion shock, most is absorbed and reemitted in the dust continuum in the envelope. The H$_2$O lines account for at most $\sim 1/100$ of the observed luminosity. If a cavity is present in the envelope due to outflow or rotation, the dust and H$_2$O line emission in the mid-infrared wavelength from the shock can be observed directly, or as a reflection nebula. Among forthcoming observational facillities, SPace Infrared telescope for Cosmology and Astrophysics (SPICA) is the most suitable for detecting either direct or processed radiation from first-core objects.

The Lupus Association of Pre–Main‐Sequence Stars: Clues to Star Formation Scattered in Space and Time

Kinematical analysis of spectroscopically identified pre-main-sequence stars associated with the Lupus dark cloud reveals a streamlike motion of low internal velocity dispersion (≤1.3 km s-1). A statistically significant mismatch between the convergent point radial velocity and the spectroscopic radial velocity from the literature indicates a moderate degree of expansion. The rate of expansion is too low to account for the present extent of the association if one assumes that the spatially dispersed population was formed in the dense molecular cores observed today. Therefore, it is unlikely that the outlying weak-lined T Tauri members were born in the same star-forming cores as the more compactly located classical T Tauri stars, despite the kinematic integrity of the association. Distances inferred from the classical moving-cluster method show a large depth of the association (~80 pc) along the line of sight. A color-magnitude diagram of the association in the near-IR colors corrected for the distribution of distances shows a clear gap separating the older (5-27 Myr) and the younger (~1 Myr) generations of stars. Half of the identified 1 Myr old stars lie in the tight group of mostly classical T Tauri stars associated with the Lupus 3 dark filament. This nest of very young stars appears to be 25 pc farther from the Sun than the center of the greater Lupus association.

Suzaku Observation of Diffuse X-Ray Emission from the Carina Nebula

Abstract We studied extended X-ray emission from the Carina Nebula taken with the Suzaku CCD camera XIS on 2005 August 29. The X-ray morphology, plasma temperature, and absorption to the plasma are consistent with the earlier Einstein results. The Suzaku spectra newly revealed emission lines from various species, including oxygen, but not from nitrogen. This result restricts the $\mathrm{N/O}$ ratio to be significantly low, compared with evolved massive stellar winds, suggesting that the diffuse emission originated in an old supernova remnant or a super shell produced by multiple supernova remnants. The X-ray spectra from the north and south of $\eta$ Car showed distinct differences between 0.3–2 keV. The south spectrum shows strong L-shell lines of iron ions and K-shell lines of silicon ions, while the north spectrum shows them weak in intensity. This means that the silicon and iron abundances are a factor of 2–4 higher in the south region than in the north region. The abundance variation may be produced by an SNR ejecta, or related to dust formation around the star-forming core.

On the relative motions of dense cores and envelopes in star-forming molecular clouds

Hydrodynamical simulations of star formation indicate that the motions of protostars through their natal molecular clouds may be crucial in determining the properties of stars through competitive accretion and dynamical interactions. Walsh, Myers & Burton recently investigated whether such motions might be observable in the earliest stages of star formation by measuring the relative shifts of line-centre velocities of low- and high-density tracers of low-mass star-forming cores. They found very small (∼0.1 km s -1 ) relative motions. In this paper, we analyse the hydrodynamical simulation of Bate, Bonnell & Bromm and find that it also gives small relative velocities between high-density cores and low-density envelopes, despite the fact that competitive accretion and dynamical interactions occur between protostars in the simulation. Thus, the simulation is consistent with the observations in this respect. However, we also find some differences between the simulation and the observations. Overall, we find that the high-density gas has a higher velocity dispersion than that observed by Walsh et al. We explore this by examining the dependence of the gas velocity dispersion on density and its evolution with time during the simulation. We find that early in the simulation the gas velocity dispersion decreases monotonically with increasing density, while later in the simulation, when the dense cores have formed multiple objects, the velocity dispersion of the high-density gas increases. Thus, the simulation is in best agreement with the observations early on, before many objects have formed in each dense core.

A Unified Model for Bipolar Outflows from Young Stars

We develop a unified model for molecular outflows in star formation. The model incorporates essential features expected of the primary wind, which is thought to be driven magnetocentrifugally from close to the central stellar object, and the ambient core material shaped by anisotropic magnetic support. The primary wind is modeled as a toroidally magnetized fast outflow moving radially away from the origin, with an angle-dependent density distribution: a dense axial jet surrounded by a more tenuous wide-angle wind, as expected in the X-wind model. If dynamically significant magnetic fields are present, the star-forming core will settle faster along the field lines than across, forming a toroid-like structure. We approximate the structure with a singular isothermal toroid whose density distribution can be obtained analytically. The interaction of the laterally stratified wind and the ambient toroid is followed using the Zeus2D magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) code. We find that the lobes produced by the interaction resemble many systematics observed in molecular outflows from very young stars, ranging from Class 0 to I sources. In particular, both the dense axial jet and the wide-angle wind participate in the wind-ambient interaction. In our model, the jet- and wind-driven pictures of molecular outflows are unified. We discuss the observational implications of the unified picture, including the possibility of detecting the primary jet/wind directly.

SiO and CH3CCH abundances and dust emission in high-mass star-forming cores

Aims. The main goal of the present study is to determine the fractional SiO abundance in high-mass star-forming cores, and to investigate its dependence on the physical conditions. In this way we wish to provide constraints on the chemistry models concerning the formation of SiO in the gas phase or via grain mantle evaporation. The work addresses also CH3CCH chemistry as the kinetic temperature is determined using this molecule. Methods. We estimate the physical conditions of 15 high-mass star-forming cores and derive the fractional SiO and CH3CCH abundances in them by using spectral line and dust continuum observations with the SEST. Results. The kinetic temperatures as derived from CH3CCH range from 25 to 39 K. The SiO emission regions are extended and typically half of the integrated line emission comes from the velocity range traced out by CH3CCH emission. The upper limit of SiO abundance in this 'quiescent' gas component is ~10^-10. The average CH3CCH abundance is about 7 x 10^-9. It shows a shallow, positive correlation with the temperature, whereas SiO shows the opposite tendency. Conclusions. We suggest that the high CH3CCH abundance and its possible increase when the clouds get warmer is related to the intensified desorption of the chemical precursors of the molecule from grain surfaces. In contrast, the observed tendency of SiO does not support the idea that the evaporation of Si-containing species from the grain mantles would be important, and it contradicts with the models where neutral reactions with activation barriers dominate the SiO production. A possible explanation for the decrease is that warmer cores represent more evolved stages of core evolution with fewer high-velocity shocks and thus less efficient SiO replenishment.

Chemical differentiation in regions of high-mass star formation

Aims.Our goals are to compare the CS, N2H+, and dust distributions in a representative sample of high-mass star-forming dense cores and to determine the physical and chemical properties of these cores.

A New Water Vapor Megamaser

We report on the detection of a new megamaser, the 31, 3-22, 0 H2O line (ν0 = 183.310 GHz) in Arp 220, using the Institut de Radioastronomie Millimetrique (IRAM) 30 m telescope. The line is about 350 km s-1 wide with a total luminosity of ~2.5 × 108 K km s-1 pc2. Although OH megamasers were first discovered in this source, no emission is seen in the 61, 6-52, 3 H2O transition (ν0 = 22.235 GHz), a line otherwise detected as a megamaser in about 50 sources to date. This fact puts interesting constraints on the physical conditions of the central region of Arp 220 that are further strengthened by the HCN and HNC J = 3-2 and J = 1-0 luminosities [in the range (1.5-10) × 108 K km s-1 pc2]. A scenario with ~106 star-forming cores similar to those found in Sgr B2 in the central kiloparsec of Arp 220 would be compatible with these data and would explain the lack of 22 GHz H2O emission. This result opens up the possibility of using the 183 GHz H2O line as an additional tool to explore the physical conditions in luminous and ultraluminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs and ULIRGs, respectively) and their starburst or active galactic nucleus (AGN) nature, with a potential interest for high angular resolution observations with the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA).

X-ray emission from T Tauri stars in the Lupus 3 star-forming region

Aims. In this paper, I present analysis results of an $\it{XMM-Newton}$ observation of the Lupus 3 region that contains a high proportion of young low mass ($M Methods. The detection of X-ray sources in 0.5 to 4.5 keV images of the Lupus 3 core was performed using the standard source detection method of the $\it{XMM-Newton}$ Science Analysis Software. The detected sources were correlated with a list of Herbig-Haro objects and H$_{\rm \alpha}$ emission stars that contains mainly classical T Tauri stars, with a catalogue of weak-line T Tauri Stars and with a recent list of new low-mass members of the Lupus 3 dark cloud found in a visible-light spectroscopic survey at the center of the Lupus 3 star-forming core. The light curves and spectra of the brightest X-ray sources with known T Tauri star counterparts were analysed. Results. One hundred and two X-ray sources were detected in the 30´ diameter field-of-view of the EPIC cameras, of which 25 have visible or near-IR counterparts that are known as pre-main sequence stars. Their X-ray luminosity ranges from 3 $\times$ 10 28 to 3 $\times$ 10 30 erg s -1 . Two of these objects with mass estimates lower than 0.075 $M_{\odot}$ have an X-ray luminosity of about 4–7 $\times$ 10 28 erg s -1 , comparable with that of flaring young brown dwarfs. A linear correlation is found between the X-ray luminosity and the mass or volume of the stars that is qualitatively expected from some models of distributed turbulent dynamos. The EPIC spectra of the X-ray brightest sources can be fitted using optically thin plasma emission models with two components at temperatures in the ranges 3–9 $\times$ 10 6 K and 1–50 $\times$ 10 7 K, respectively. The large emission measure of hot plasma may be caused by disruptions of magnetic fields associated with an intense flaring activity, while the X-ray emission from the “cool” plasma components may result from solar-type active regions. The emission measures of the plasma components are of the order of 10 52 cm -3 , typical of the values expected from coronal plasmas in T Tauri stars, post-T Tauri stars, and active late-type dwarfs in close binary systems. One property of the X-ray brightest stars in Lupus 3 that seems common among pre-main sequence stars is the low abundance of Fe.

Cyclopropenone (c‐H2C3O): A New Interstellar Ring Molecule

The three-carbon keto ring cyclopropenone (c-H2C 3O) has been detected largely in absorption with the 100 m Green Bank Telescope (GBT) toward the star-forming region Sagittarius B2(N) by means of a number of rotational transitions between energy levels that have energies less than 10 K. Previous negative results from searches for interstellar c-H2C3O by other investigators attempting to detect rotational transitions that have energy levels ~10 K or greater indicate no significant hot core component. Thus, we conclude that only the low-energy levels of c-H2C3O are populated because the molecule state temperature is low, suggesting that c-H2C3O resides in a star-forming core halo region that has a widespread arcminute spatial scale. Toward Sagittarius B2(N), the GBT was also used to observe the previously reported, spatially ubiquitous, three-carbon ring cyclopropenylidene (c-C3H2 ), which has a divalent carbon that makes it highly reactive in the laboratory. The presence of both c-C3H2 and c-H2C3O toward Sagittarius B2(N) suggests that gas-phase oxygen addition may account for the synthesis of c-H 2C3O from c-C3H2. We also searched for but did not detect the three-carbon sugar glyceraldehyde (CH2OHCHOHCHO).

Detection of Acetamide (CH 3 CONH 2 ): The Largest Interstellar Molecule with a Peptide Bond

Acetamide (CH3CONH2) has been detected in emission and absorption toward the star-forming region Sagittarius B2(N) with the 100 m Green Bank Telescope (GBT) by means of four A-species and four E-species rotational transitions. All transitions have energy levels less than 10 K. The Sgr B2(N) cloud is known to have a cold halo with clumps of gas at several different velocities. Absorption features are largely characterized by local standard of rest (LSR) velocities that are typical of the two star-forming cores with systemic LSR velocities of +64 and +82 km s-1. Continuum sources embedded within the star-forming cores give rise to the absorption from the molecular gas halo surrounding the cores. Emission features are seen at an approximate intermediate LSR velocity of +73 km s-1 that characterizes the widespread molecular halo that has a spatial scale of a few arcminutes. Two low-energy transitions of formamide (HCONH 2) were also observed with the GBT toward Sagittarius B2(N) since formamide is the potential parent molecule of acetamide; both molecules are the only interstellar species with an NH2 group bound to a CO group, the so-called peptide bond, that provides the linkage for the polymerization of amino acids. While the acetamide transitions observed appear to be confined to the cold (~8 K) halo region, only the 101-0 00 transition of formamide appears to be exclusively from the cold halo; the 312-313 transition of formamide is apparently contaminated with emission from the two hot cores. The relative abundance ratio of acetamide to formamide is estimated to be in the range of ~0.1 to ~0.5 in the cold halo. The exothermic neutral-radical reaction of formamide with methylene (CH2) may account for the synthesis of interstellar acetamide in the presence of shock phenomenon in this star-forming region.

Spitzer discovery of very low luminosity objects

AbstractThe Spitzer Space Telescope allows for the .rst time to search systematically for very low luminosity (≲0.1 L⊙) objects (VeLLOs) associated with dense molecular cores. They may be the .rst candidate Class 0 sources with sub‐stellar masses. We describe such a source in the dense molecular core L1148. VeLLO natal cores show properties that are unusual for star‐forming cores. The low luminosity and in some cases the lack of prominent out.ow could be the result of the small gas supply near the VeLLO. (© 2005 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

High‐Mass Cloud Cores in the η Carinae Giant Molecular Cloud

We carried out an unbiased survey for massive dense cores in the giant molecular cloud associated with η Carinae with the NANTEN telescope in the 12CO, 13CO, and C18O J = 1-0 emission lines. We identified 15 C18O cores, whose typical line width ΔVcomp, radius r, mass M, column density N(H2), and average number density n(H2) were 3.3 km s-1, 2.2 pc, 2.6 × 103 M☉, 1.3 × 1022 cm-2, and 1.2 × 103 cm-3, respectively. Two of the 15 cores are associated with IRAS point sources whose luminosities are larger than 104 L☉, which indicates that massive star formation is occurring within these cores. Five cores, including the two with IRAS sources, are associated with MSX point sources. We detected H13CO+ (J = 1-0) emission toward four C18O cores, two of which are associated with IRAS and MSX point sources; another one is associated only with an MSX point source, and the other is associated with neither IRAS nor MSX point sources. The core with neither IRAS nor MSX point sources shows the presence of a bipolar molecular outflow in 12CO (J = 2-1), which indicates that star formation is also occurring in the core, and the other three of the four H13CO+ detections show winglike emission. In total, 6 C18O cores out of 15 (=40%) have experienced star formation, and at least 2 of 15 (=13%) are massive star-forming cores in the η Car GMC. We found that massive star formation occurs preferentially in cores with larger N(H2), M, and n(H2) and a smaller ratio of Mvir/M. We also found that the cores in the η Car GMC are characterized by large ΔV and Mvir/M on average compared to the cores in other GMCs observed with the same telescope. These properties of the cores may account for the fact that as much as 60%-87% of the cores do not show any signs of massive star formation. We investigated the origin of a large amount of turbulence in the η Car GMC. We found that turbulence injection from stellar winds, molecular outflows, and supernova remnants that originated from stars formed within the GMC are not enough to explain the existing turbulence. We propose the possibility that the large turbulence was preexisting when the GMC was formed and is now dissipating. Mechanisms such as multiple supernova explosions in the Carina flare supershell may have contributed to form a GMC with a large amount of turbulence.

Observational characteristics of dense cores with deeply embedded young protostars

Class 0 objects, which are thought to be the youngest protostars, are identified in terms of NIR or radio emission and/or the presence of molecular outflows. We present combined hydrodynamic and radiative transfer simulations of the collapse of a star-forming molecular core, which suggest two criteria for identifying dense cores with deeply embedded very young protostars that may not be observable in the NIR or radio with current telescopes. We find that cores with protostars are relatively warm (T>15K) with their SEDs peaking at wavelengths <170 micron, and they tend to appear circular.