Young Stellar Objects Research Articles

Mid-infrared Variability of Young Stellar Objects on Timescales of Days to Years

Variability in the brightness of young stellar objects (YSOs) is a common phenomenon that can be caused by changes in various factors, including accretion, extinction, disk morphology, interactions between the disk and the stellar photosphere, and the rotation of hot or cold magnetic spots on the stellar photosphere. Analyzing the variability on different timescales provides insight into the mechanisms driving the changes in the brightness of YSOs. We investigate the variability of YSOs on both long and short timescales using two mid-IR data sets: the Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (NEOWISE) 7.5 yr W2 (4.6 μm) data and the YSOVAR 40 day Spitzer/IRAC2 (4.5 μm) data, respectively. We classify the variability types in each timescale following Park et al. We find a higher detection rate of variable sources in the short term (77.6%) compared to the long term (43.0%) due to the higher sensitivity of the Spitzer observations. In addition, the higher cadence of the YSOVAR data results in the weeks-long short-term variability being mostly secular, while the years-long long-term variability explored with the coarsely sampled NEOWISE data is mostly stochastic. By crossmatching the two catalogs, we statistically analyze the variability types exhibited by YSOs across both timescales. The long-term variability amplitude is mostly three times (up to 10 times) greater than the short-term variability. Furthermore, we evaluate variability on very short (1–2 days) timescales and recover a trend of the increasing amplitude of variability as the timescales increase. By comprehensively analyzing the variability of YSOs over various timescales, we contribute to a deeper understanding of the underlying mechanisms driving their variability.

Radio survey of the stellar population in the infrared dark cloud G14.225-0.506

Context. The infrared dark cloud (IRDC) G14.225-0.506 is part of the extended and massive molecular cloud located to the southwest of the H II region M17. The cloud is associated with a network of filaments, which result in two different dense hubs, as well as with several signposts of star formation activity and a rich population of protostars and young stellar objects (YSOs). Aims. The aim of this work is to study the centimeter continuum emission in order to characterize the stellar population in both regions, as well as to study the evolutionary sequence across the IRDC G14.225-0.506. Methods. We performed deep (~ 1.5–3 μJy) radio continuum observations at 6 and 3.6 cm toward the IRDC G14.225-0.506 using the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) in its most extended A configuration (~0.3″). Data at both C and X bands were imaged using the same (u,v) range in order to derive spectral indices. We have also made use of observations taken during different days to study the presence of variability at short timescales toward the detected sources. Results. We detected a total of 66 sources, 32 in the northern region G14.2-N and 34 in the southern region G14.2-S. Ten of the sources are found to be variable, with three located in G14.2-N and seven in G14.2-S. Based on their spectral index, the emission in G14.2-N is mainly dominated by nonthermal sources while G14.2-S contains more thermal emitters. Approximately 75% of the sources present a counterpart at other wavelengths. When considering the inner 0.4 pc region around the center of each hub, the number of infrared (IR) sources in G14.2-N is larger than in G14.2-S by a factor of 4. We also studied the relation between the radio luminosity and the bolometric luminosity, finding that the thermal emission of the studied sources is compatible with thermal radio jets. For our sources with X-ray counterparts, the nonthermal emitters follow a Güdel-Benz relation with κ = 0.03, as previously suggested for other similar regions. Conclusions. We found similar levels of fragmentation between G14.2-N and G14.2-S, suggesting that both regions are most likely twin hubs. The nonthermal emission found in the less evolved objects, mainly coming from G14.2-N, suggests that G14.2-N may be composed of more massive YSOs as well as being in a more advanced evolutionary stage, consistent with the “filament-halo” gradient in age and mass from previous works. Overall, our results confirm a wider evolutionary sequence from the southwest to northeast starting in G14.2-S as the youngest part, followed by G14.2-N, and ending with the most evolved region M17.

SMA Detection of an Extreme Millimeter Flare from the Young Class III Star HD 283572

We present evidence of variable 1.3 mm emission from the 1 to 3 Myr, spectral-type G2–G5 class III young stellar object (YSO), HD 283572. HD 283572 was observed on eight dates with the Submillimeter Array between 2021 December and 2023 May, with a total on-source time of 10.2 hr, probing a range of timescales down to 5.2 s. Averaging all data obtained on 2022 January 17 shows a 4.4 mJy (8.8σ) point source detection with a negative spectral index (α = −2.7 ± 1.2), with peak emission rising to 13.8 mJy in one 3 minute span, and 25 mJy in one 29.7 s integration (L ν = 4.7 × 1017 erg s−1 Hz−1). Combining our data for the other seven dates shows no detection, with an rms noise of 0.24 mJy beam−1. The stochastic millimeter enhancements on time frames of seconds–minutes–hours with negative spectral indices are most plausibly explained by synchrotron or gyrosynchrotron radiation from stellar activity. HD 283572's 1.3 mm lightcurve has similarities with variable binaries, suggesting HD 283572's activity may have been triggered by interactions with an as-yet undetected companion. We additionally identify variability of HD 283572 at 10 cm, from VLASS data. This study highlights the challenges of interpreting faint millimeter emission from evolved YSOs that may host tenuous disks, and suggests that a more detailed temporal analysis of spatially unresolved data is generally warranted. The variability of class III stars may open up new ground for understanding the physics of flares in the context of terrestrial planet formation.

Stellar feedback in the star formation–gas density relation: Comparison between simulations and observations

Context. The impact of stellar feedback on the Kennicutt–Schmidt (KS) law, which relates the star formation rate (SFR) to the surface gas density, is a topic of ongoing debate. The interpretation of high-resolution observations of individual clouds is challenging due to the various processes at play simultaneously and inherent biases. Therefore, a numerical investigation is necessary to understand the role of stellar feedback and identify observable signatures. Aims. In this study we investigate the impact of stellar feedback on the KS law, aiming to identify distinct signatures that can be observed and analysed. By employing magnetohydrodynamic simulations of an isolated cloud, we specifically isolate the effects of high-mass star radiation feedback and protostellar jets. High-resolution numerical simulations are a valuable tool for isolating the impact of stellar feedback on the star formation process, while also allowing us to assess how observational biases may affect the derived relation. Methods. We used high-resolution (<0.01 pc) magnetohydrodynamic numerical simulations of a 104 M⊙ cloud and followed its evolution under different feedback prescriptions. The set of simulations contained four types of feedback: one with only protostellar jets, one with ionising radiation from massive stars (>8 M⊙), one with the combination of the two, and one without any stellar feedback. In order to compare these simulations with the existing observational results, we analysed their evolution by adopting the same techniques applied in the observational studies. Then, we simulated how the same analyses would change if the data were affected by typical observational biases: counting young stellar objects (YSO) to estimate the SFR, the limited resolution for the column density maps, and a sensitivity threshold for detecting faint embedded YSOs. Results. Our analysis reveals that the presence of stellar feedback strongly influences the shape of the KS relation and the star formation efficiency per free-fall time (ϵff). The impact of feedback on the relation is primarily governed by its influence on the cloud’s structure. Additionally, the evolution of ϵff throughout the star formation event suggests that variations in this quantity can mask the impact of feedback in observational studies that do not account for the evolutionary stage of the clouds. Although the ϵff measured in our clouds is higher than what is usually observed in real clouds, upon applying prescriptions to mimic observational biases we recover a good agreement with the expected values. From that, we can infer that observations tend to underestimate the total SFR. Moreover, this likely indicates that the physics included in our simulations is sufficient to reproduce the basic mechanisms that contribute to setting ϵff. Conclusions. We demonstrate the interest of employing numerical simulations to address the impact of early feedback on star formation laws and to correctly interpret observational data. This study will be extended to other types of molecular clouds and ionising stars, sampling different feedback strengths, to fully characterise the impact of H II regions on star formation.

A dusty streamer infalling onto the disk of a class I protostar

Context. Observations of interstellar material infalling onto star- and planet-forming systems have become increasingly common thanks to recent advancements in radio interferometry. These structures have the potential to alter the dynamics of protoplanetary disks significantly by triggering the formation of substructures, inducing shocks, and modifying their physical and chemical properties. Moreover, the protoplanetary disks are replenished with new material, which increases the overall mass budget for planet formation. Aims. In this study, we combine new ALMA band 3 and archival band 6 observations to characterize the dust content and infall rate of a 4000 au arc-like structure that is infalling onto [MGM2012] 512 (hereafter M512), a class I young stellar object located in the Lynds 1641 region of the Orion A molecular cloud. Methods. We detected the extended dust emission from this structure in both ALMA bands. We tested whether the velocity pattern of the streamer is consistent with infalling trajectories by means of analytical streamline models. We measured spectral index maps for the first time and derived a dust opacity-index profile along a streamer. We constrained its grain properties and mass. Results. We find that the arc structure is consistent with infalling motions. We measure a spectral index α ~ 3.2 across the entire structure and a dust opacity index β ~ 1.6. Considering grain properties consistent with the measured β, the structure can host up to 245 M⊕ of dust, which exceeds or is comparable to the mass of the inner unresolved 600 au, which contains the protoplanetary disk of M512. Assuming a typical dust-to-gas ratio of 1% for the streamer, the free-fall timescales (50 kyr) imply total mass-infall rates up to 1.5 × 10−6 M⊙ yr−1. M512 has been classified as an outbursting source with multi-epoch WISE photometry. It is thus an interesting case study for exploring the possible connection between infalling streamers and accretion outbursts. Conclusions. M512 is a unique source for which dust continuum emission of an arc-like streamer extending out to 4000 au can be characterized in a dual-band analysis. The dust properties are similar to those in the interstellar medium and imply a high dust mass. A massive streamer like this can affect the evolution of the star- and planet-forming inner system strongly.

CMZoom. IV. Incipient High-mass Star Formation throughout the Central Molecular Zone

In this work, we constrain the star-forming properties of all possible sites of incipient high-mass star formation in the Milky Way’s Galactic Center. We identify dense structures using the CMZoom 1.3 mm dust continuum catalog of objects with typical radii of ∼0.1 pc, and measure their association with tracers of high-mass star formation. We incorporate compact emission at 8, 21, 24, 25, and 70 μm from the Midcourse Space Experiment, Spitzer, Herschel, and SOFIA, cataloged young stellar objects, and water and methanol masers to characterize each source. We find an incipient star formation rate (SFR) for the Central Molecular Zone (CMZ) of ∼0.08 M ⊙ yr−1 over the next few 105 yr. We calculate upper and lower limits on the CMZ’s incipient SFR of ∼0.45 and ∼0.05 M ⊙ yr−1,respectively, spanning roughly equal to and several times greater than other estimates of CMZ’s recent SFR. Despite substantial uncertainties, our results suggest the incipient SFR in the CMZ may be higher than previously estimated. We find that the prevalence of star formation tracers does not correlate with source volume density, but instead ≳75% of high-mass star formation is found in regions above a column density ratio (N SMA/N Herschel) of ∼1.5. Finally, we highlight the detection of atoll sources, a reoccurring morphology of cold dust encircling evolved infrared sources, possibly representing H ii regions in the process of destroying their envelopes.

Far-infrared Luminosity Bursts Trace Mass Accretion onto Protostars

Evidence abounds that young stellar objects undergo luminous bursts of intense accretion that are short compared to the time it takes to form a star. It remains unclear how much these events contribute to the main-sequence masses of the stars. We demonstrate the power of time-series far-infrared (far-IR) photometry to answer this question compared to similar observations at shorter and longer wavelengths. We start with model spectral energy distributions that have been fit to 86 Class 0 protostars in the Orion molecular clouds. The protostars sample a broad range of envelope densities, cavity geometries, and viewing angles. We then increase the luminosity of each model by factors of 10, 50, and 100 and assess how these luminosity increases manifest in the form of flux increases over wavelength ranges of interest. We find that the fractional change in the far-IR luminosity during a burst more closely traces the change in the accretion rate than photometric diagnostics at mid-infrared and submillimeter wavelengths. We also show that observations at far-IR and longer wavelengths reliably track accretion changes without confusion from large, variable circumstellar and interstellar extinction that plague studies at shorter wavelengths. We close by discussing the ability of a proposed far-IR surveyor for the 2030s to enable improvements in our understanding of the role of accretion bursts in mass assembly.

Near-infrared observations of outflows and young stellar objects in the massive star-forming region AFGL 5180

Context. Massive stars play important roles throughout the universe; however, their formation remains poorly understood. Observations of jets and outflows in high-mass star-forming regions, as well as surveys of young stellar object (YSO) content, can help test theoretical models of massive star formation. Aims. We aim at characterizing the massive star-forming region AFGL 5180 in the near-infrared (NIR), identifying outflows and relating these to sub-mm/mm sources, as well as surveying the overall YSO surface number density to compare to massive star formation models. Methods. Broad- and narrow-band imaging of AFGL 5180 was made in the NIR with the Large Binocular Telescope, in both seeing-limited (~0.5″) and high angular resolution (~0.09″) Adaptive Optics (AO) modes, as well as with the Hubble Space Telescope. Archival continuum data from the Atacama Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA) was also utilized. Results. At least 40 jet knots were identified via NIR emission from H2 and [FeII] tracing shocked gas. Bright jet knots outflowing from the central most massive protostar, S4 (estimated mass ~11 M⊙, via SED fitting), are detected towards the east of the source and are resolved in fine detail with the AO imaging. Additional knots are distributed throughout the field, likely indicating the presence of multiple driving sources. Sub-millimeter sources detected by ALMA are shown to be grouped in two main complexes, AFGL 5180 M and a small cluster ~15″ (0.15 pc in projection) to the south, AFGL 5180 S. From our NIR continuum images we identify YSO candidates down to masses of ~0.1 M⊙. Combined with the sub-mm sources, this yields a surface number density of such YSOs of N* ~ 103pc−2 within a projected radius of about 0.1 pc. Such a value is similar to those predicted by models of both core accretion from a turbulent clump environment and competitive accretion. The radial profile of N* is relatively flat on scales out to 0.2 pc, with only modest enhancement around the massive protostar inside 0.05 pc, which provides additional constraints on these massive star formation models. Conclusions. This study demonstrates the utility of high-resolution NIR imaging, in particular with AO, for detecting outflow activity and YSOs in distant regions. The presented images reveal the complex morphology of outflow-shocked gas within the large-scale bipolar flow of a massive protostar, as well as clear evidence for several other outflow driving sources in the region. Finally, this work presents a novel approach to compare the observed YSO surface number density from our study against different models of massive star formation.

An Updated Modular Set of Synthetic Spectral Energy Distributions for Young Stellar Objects

Measured properties of young stellar objects (YSOs) are key tools for research into pre-main-sequence stellar evolution. YSO properties are commonly measured by comparing observed radiation to existing grids of template YSO spectral energy distributions (SEDs) calculated by radiative transfer. These grids are often sampled and constructed using simple models of mass assembly/accretion over time. However, because we do not yet have a complete theory of star formation, the choice of model sets the tracked parameters and range of allowed values. By construction, then, the assumed model limits the measurements that can be made using the grid. Radiative transfer models not constrained by specific accretion histories would enable assessment of a wider range of theories. We present an updated version of the Robitaille set (2017) of YSO SEDs, a collection of models with no assumed evolutionary theory. We outline our newly calculated properties: envelope mass, weighted-average dust temperature, disk stability, and circumstellar A V. We also convolve the SEDs with new filters, including JWST, and provide users the ability to perform additional convolutions. We find a correlation between the average temperature and millimeter-wavelength brightness of optically thin dust in our models and discuss its ramifications for mass measurements of pre- and protostellar cores. We also compare the positions of YSOs of different observational classes and evolutionary stages in IR color space and use our models to quantify the extent to which class and stage may be confused due to observational effects. Our updated models are released to the public.

Star Formation in the H ii Region Sh2-87: Evidence of Global Hierarchical Collapse

We present a detailed study of the Sh2-87 H ii region using a multiwavelength data set in optical to radio bands. A Herschel column density map revealed that the host cloud is filamentary in nature, and together they formed a central dense hub. The extinction map generated using near-infrared photometric data also signifies the nonuniform distribution of the cloud and reveals its filamentary nature. We estimated a sizable variable extinction over the region up to A V = 34.4 mag, with an average value of A V = 3.4 mag. Using the various infrared color–color criteria, we identified 13 Class I and 202 Class II young stellar objects (YSOs) and 22 Hα-emitting sources toward this region. Further analysis showed that the cluster is mainly composed of low-mass YSOs with a typical age of ∼3 Myr having masses in the range of 0.1–6.0 M ⊙. The identified evolved YSOs (i.e., Class II YSOs) are primarily distributed along the filaments and in the outer parts of the cloud, while the recent star formation, inferred by the presence of Class I YSOs, ionized gas, and star-forming clumps, is observed in the hub region. The overall star formation scenario in the Sh2-87 region resembles the global hierarchical collapse model of star formation, where younger massive star formation activity is expected at the central hub along with the distribution of evolved low-mass YSOs in the filaments and the outer parts of the cloud.

Unsupervised machine learning for the classification of astrophysical X-ray sources

ABSTRACT The automatic classification of X-ray detections is a necessary step in extracting astrophysical information from compiled catalogues of astrophysical sources. Classification is useful for the study of individual objects, statistics for population studies, as well as for anomaly detection, that is, the identification of new unexplored phenomena, including transients and spectrally extreme sources. Despite the importance of this task, classification remains challenging in X-ray astronomy due to the lack of optical counterparts and representative training sets. We develop an alternative methodology that employs an unsupervised machine learning approach to provide probabilistic classes to Chandra Source Catalog sources with a limited number of labelled sources, and without ancillary information from optical and infrared catalogues. We provide a catalogue of probabilistic classes for 8756 sources, comprising a total of 14 507 detections, and demonstrate the success of the method at identifying emission from young stellar objects, as well as distinguishing between small- and large-scale compact accretors with a significant level of confidence. We investigate the consistency between the distribution of features among classified objects and well-established astrophysical hypotheses such as the unified active galactic nucleus model. This provides interpretability to the probabilistic classifier. Code and tables are available publicly through GitHub. We provide a web playground for readers to explore our final classification at https://umlcaxs-playground.streamlit.app.

On the incidence of episodic accretion in Class I YSOs from VVV

ABSTRACT Episodic accretion is one of the competing models to explain the observed luminosity spread in young stellar clusters. These short-lived high accretion events could also have a strong impact on planet formation. Observations of high-amplitude variability in young stellar objects (YSOs) due to large changes in the accretion rate provide direct observational evidence for episodic accretion. However, there are still uncertainties in the frequency of these events and if episodic accretion is universal among YSOs. To determine the frequency of outbursts in Class I YSOs, we built a large and robust sample of objects at this evolutionary stage, and searched for high-amplitude near-infrared (ΔKS > 2 mag) variability in the VIRAC2 database of the Vista Variables in the Via Lactea survey. By complementing with near-IR (2MASS and DENIS) and mid-IR (WISE/Neo-WISE) data, we find that from ∼7000 Class I YSOs, 97 objects can be classified as eruptive variable YSOs. The duration of the outbursts vary from a few months to longer than 9 yr, and cover a similar range of amplitudes. Values of ΔKS > 5 mag, however, are only observed in outbursts with duration longer than 9 yr. When considering different effects of completeness and contamination, we estimate that the incidence of episodic accretion in Class I YSOs is between 2 and 3 per cent. Finally, we determine a recurrence time-scale of long-term outbursts (a.k.a FUors) of $\tau =1.75^{+1.12}_{-0.87}$ kyr. The latter value agrees with previous estimates and is in line with the expectations of higher frequency of FUor outbursts during younger stages of evolution.

The most variable VVV sources: eruptive protostars, dipping giants in the nuclear disc and others

ABSTRACT We have performed a comprehensive search of a VISTA Variables in the Via Lactea (VVV) data base of 9.5 yr light curves for variable sources with ΔKs ≥ 4 mag, aiming to provide a large sample of high amplitude eruptive young stellar objects (YSOs) and detect unusual or new types of infrared variable source. We find 222 variable or transient sources in the Galactic bulge and disc, most of which are new discoveries. The sample mainly comprises novae, YSOs, microlensing events, Long Period Variable stars (LPVs), and a few rare or unclassified sources. Additionally, we report the discovery of a significant population of aperiodic late-type giant stars suffering deep extinction events, strongly clustered in the Nuclear Disc of the Milky Way. We suggest that these are metal-rich stars in which radiatively driven mass loss has been enhanced by super-solar metallicity. Among the YSOs, 32/40 appear to be undergoing episodic accretion. Long-lasting YSO eruptions have a typical rise time of ∼2 yr, somewhat slower than the 6–12 month time-scale seen in the few historical events observed on the rise. The outburst durations are usually at least 5 yr, somewhat longer than many lower amplitude VVV events detected previously. The light curves are diverse in nature, suggesting that multiple types of disc instability may occur. Eight long-duration extinction events are seen wherein the YSO dims for a year or more, attributable to inner disc structure. One binary YSO in NGC 6530 displays periodic extinction events (P=59 d) similar to KH 15D.

Spectroscopic confirmation of high-amplitude eruptive YSOs and dipping giants from the VVV survey

ABSTRACT During the pre-main-sequence (pre-MS) evolution stage of a star, significant amounts of stellar mass are accreted during episodic accretion events, such as multidecade FUor-type outbursts. Here, we present a near-infrared spectroscopic follow-up study of 33 high-amplitude (most with ΔKs > 4 mag) variable sources discovered by the Vista Variables in the Via Lactea (VVV) survey. Based on the spectral features, 25 sources are classified as eruptive young stellar objects (YSOs), including 15 newly identified FUors, six with long-lasting, but EXor-like bursts of magnetospheric accretion and four displaying outflow-dominated spectra. By examining the photometric behaviours of eruptive YSOs, we found most FUor-type outbursts have higher amplitudes (ΔKs and ΔW2), faster eruptive time-scales and bluer infrared colours than the other outburst types. In addition, we identified seven post-MS variables apparently associated with deep dipping events and an eruptive star with deep aluminium monoxide absorption bands resembling those seen in the V838 Mon stellar merger.

Can radial temperature profiles be inferred using NH3 (1, 1) and (2, 2) observations?

ABSTRACT A number of works infer radial temperature profiles of envelopes surrounding young stellar objects using several rotational transitions in a pixel-by-pixel or azimuthally averaged basis. However, in many cases the assumption that the rotational temperature is constant along the line of sight is made, while this is not the case when a partially resolved envelope, assumed to be spherically symmetric, is used to obtain values of temperature for different projected radii. This kind of analysis (homogeneous analysis) is intrinsically inconsistent. By using a spherical envelope model to interpret NH3 (1,1) and (2,2) observations, we tested how robust it is to infer radial temperature profiles of an envelope. The temperature and density of the model envelope are power laws of radius, but the density can be flat for an inner central part. The homogeneous analysis was applied to obtain radial temperature profiles, and resulted that for small projected radii, where the optical depth of the lines is high, the homogeneous temperature can be much higher than the actual envelope temperature. In general, for larger projected radii, both the temperature and the temperature power-law index can be underestimated by as much as 40 per cent, and 0.15, respectively. We applied this study to the infrared dark cloud G14.225–0.506 for which the radial temperature profile was previously derived from the dust emission at submillimetre wavelengths and the spectral energy distribution. As expected, the homogeneous analysis underestimated both the temperature and the temperature power-law index.

Large-scale Effect of an Accretion Burst in the High-Mass Young Stellar Object G358.93-0.03-MM1

The high-mass young stellar object G358.93-0.03-MM1 underwent a rapid accretion burst event from 2019 January to June, resulting in flares observed in most class II methanol maser transitions starting in mid-January. In contrast, the 22.235 GHz water maser flare started in mid-April. To investigate the physical origin of this significant difference, we made the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array observations toward the G358.93-0.03 region on 2019 March 23 and April 4 and obtained the intensity and spatial distribution images of the water maser as well as the continuum emissions at Ku and K bands on the epoch close to the water maser flare. A comparative analysis, incorporating previously reported detections in February (pre-water maser flare) and June (post-water maser flare), reveals the time lag between the accretion burst and water maser flare. These observations confirm the variations of the propagation speed of a heatwave induced by the accretion burst in different directions: the heatwave is decelerated in dense regions (e.g., the disk and jet), whereas in directions from G358-MM1 to water maser components, the heatwave speed is supposed to be close to the speed of light. Variations in flux density and spatial positions were detected for water masers and continuum emissions, indicating that the accretion burst event originating from G358-MM1 affects not only the immediate environment within a dense structure of 0.″2 (1400 au at a source distance of 6.75 kpc) around MM1 itself, but also exerts influence on broader-scale regions extending up to approximately 3″ (21,000 au).

Census of Young Stars in Galactic Star Forming Region Sh2-88

We present here the census and characterization of Young Stellar Objects (YSOs) associated with the active star-forming H II region Sh2-88 with multi-wavelength data situated in the Vulpecula OB1 association. To understand the extinction properties of Sh2-88 region, we generate an extinction map over 20×20 arcminutes using the neighbourhood method of Gutermuth et al. (2005) from the deep near-infrared HK band photometric archival data of UKIDSS. We find a sizable variable extinction over the region up to AV ≃11.7 mag, with a median value of AV ≃4.3 mag. The high extinction regions trace the dense filamentary structure, which was found earlier in the far-infrared and sub-mm data. Following the YSO classification scheme of Gutermuth et al. (2009), we have identified 74 YSOs in that region using Spitzer-IRAC data from four mid-infrared bands (3.6, 4.5, 5.8 and 8 μm) and 2MASS near-infrared K-band (2.16 μm) data. Among 74 YSOs, six are class I and 68 class II objects. Using IPHAS Hα, r, and i-band photometry, we have identified 41 additional YSOs. Among these 41, four sources are common with IR excess YSOs. From the spatial distribution of YSOs, it is apparent that YSOs are primarily distributed over the relatively higher extinction regions of the cloud, and star-formation activity might be ongoing in those dense parts of the cloud.

Searching for stellar population in the molecular cloud GRSMC 045.49+00.04

Abstract Understanding the characteristics of young stellar populations is essential for deriving insights into star formation processes within parent molecular clouds and the influence of massive stars on these processes. This study primarily aims to investigate the young stellar objects (YSOs) within the molecular cloud G 045.49+00.04, including three ultra-compact HII (UC HII) regions: G 45.48+0.13 (IRAS 19117+1107), G 45.45+0.06 (IRAS 19120+1103), and G 45.47+0.05. We used near-, mid-, and far-infrared photometric data along with radiation transfer models and the modified blackbody fitting to identify and study the YSOs and the interstellar medium (ISM). In total, we identified 1482 YSOs in a 12 arcmin radius covering GRSMC 045.49+00.04, with a mass range from 1.5 M ${}_{\odot}$ to 22 M ${}_{\odot}$ . Of these, 315 objects form relatively dense clusters in the UC HII regions, close to the IRAS 19120+1103 and 19117+1107 sources. In each UC HII region, several high-mass stars have been identified, which in all likelihood are responsible for the ionization. The YSOs with 21.8 M ${}_{\odot}$ and 13.7 ± 0.4 M ${}_{\odot}$ are associated with IRAS 19120+1103 and 19117+1107, respectively. The non-cluster YSOs (1168) are uniformly distributed on the field. The distribution of YSOs from both samples on the colour-magnitude diagram and by the evolutionary ages is different. About 75% of objects in the IRAS clusters are concentrated around the Zero Age Main Sequence and have a well-defined peak at an age of Log(Age[years]) $\approx$ 6.75, with a narrow spread. The non-cluster objects have two concentrations located to the right and left of the 0.1 Myr isochrone and two well-defined peaks at Log(Age) $\approx$ 6.25 and 5.25. The fraction of the near-infrared excess stars, as well as the mass function confirm that the evolutionary age of the cluster is about 1 Myr. The K luminosity functions’ α slopes for the IRAS clusters and non-cluster objects are 0.32 ± 0.04 and 0.72 ± 0.13, respectively. The steeper α slope is suggesting that the non-cluster objects are less evolved, which is well consistent with the evolutionary age. Similar results – including evolutionary age, narrow age spread, and the less evolved nature of non-cluster objects – were also observed for the YSOs in the neighbouring G 45.14+00.14. The both regions (G 045.49+00.04 and G 45.14+00.14) are located and distinguished by their brightness and density at the edge of the bubble around the highly variable X-ray binary GRS 1915+105, which includes a black hole and a K-giant companion. Based on the above, we can assume that the process of star formation in the young IRAS clusters was triggered by the GRS 1915+105-initiated shock front inside the ISM massive condensation, through the process of ‘collecting and collapse’. Most non-cluster objects probably belong to a later generation. Their formation could be triggered by the recurrent activity of GRS 1915+105 and/or through the edge collapse scenario and mass accumulation through the gas flows along the ISM filaments.

Study of the N126 dust bubble in the infrared wavelength range

In recent years, the researchof bubbles,partially circular structures in the interstellar medium, consisting of dust and gas, has received the considerable attention. The analysis of the structure and evolution of bubbles provides insight into the conditions under which stars and planets form inthe interstellar medium. Dust bubbles are inextricably linked with star formation regions and are powerful tools for studying the interaction of young stellar objects with their environment at various stages of evolution.The main goal of this articleisto study the region of the N126 dust bubble, search for and identify young stellar objects. Identification of young stellar objects by their fluxes at infrared wavelengths is relatively recent, and identification criteria are still at the stage of improvement. Therefore, in this article, the criteria for identifying young stellar objects were used according to the works of Koenig X.P. (2012), Koenig X.P. & Leisawitz D.V. (2014) and Fischer W.J. (2016), which are based on analysis of WISE observational datain the near-and mid-infrared bands W1 (3.4 μm), W2 (4.6 μm), W3 (12 μm), and W4 (22 μm). The datafrom the 2MASS and AllWISE catalogswith reliable non-zero fluxes of infrared radiation sourceswere used in that work. For the researched dust bubble, young stellar objects of class 0 (protostars) and class I were not detected. 4 objects of class II, 1 object of the class of transition disks and 48 objects of class III were identified. Energy distributions in the spectra for class II objectswere constructed, which also confirmed their evolutionary status. For all identified YSOs, color diagrams were constructed showing the locations of the found objects with their corresponding areas of evolution. Maps of the distribution of YSOs in space are analyzed, which indicate possible signs of an initiated star formation process in the N126 dust bubble.

Protostellar Cores in Sagittarius B2 N and M

We present 500 and 700 au resolution 1 and 3 mm Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array observations, respectively, of protostellar cores in protoclusters Sagittarius B2 (Sgr B2) North (N) and Main (M), parts of the most actively star-forming cloud in our Galaxy. Previous lower-resolution (5000 au) 3 mm observations of this region detected ∼150 sources inferred to be young stellar objects (YSOs) with M > 8 M ⊙. With a 10-fold increase in resolution, we detect 371 sources at 3 mm and 218 sources in the smaller field of view at 1 mm. The sources seen at low resolution are observed to fragment into an average of two objects. About one-third of the observed sources fragment. Most of the sources we report are marginally resolved and are at least partially optically thick. We determine that the observed sources are most consistent with Stage 0/I YSOs, i.e., rotationally supported disks with an active protostar and an envelope, that are warmer than those observed in the solar neighborhood. We report source-counting-based inferred stellar mass and the star formation rate of the cloud: 2800 M ⊙ and 0.0038 M ⊙ yr−1 for Sgr B2 N and 6900 M ⊙ and 0.0093 M ⊙ yr−1 for Sgr B2 M, respectively.