Early Phases of Star Formation: Testing Chemical Tools

Star-forming processes strongly influence the ISM chemistry.Nowadays,many high-quality databases are available at millimeter wavelengths.Using them,it is possible to carry out studies that review and deepen previous results.If these studies involve large samples of sources,it is preferred to use direct tools to study the molecular gas.With the aim of testing these tools such as the use of the HCN/HNC ratio as a thermometer,and the use of H^(13)CO^(+),HC_(3)N,N_(2)H^(+) and C_(2)H as "chemical clocks," we present a molecular line study toward 55 sources representing massive young stellar objects at different evolutionary stages:infrared dark clouds(IRDCs),highmass protostellar objects(HMPOs),hot molecular cores(HMCs) and ultracompact H II regions.We found that the use of the HCN/HNC ratio as a universal thermometer in the ISM should be taken with care because the HCN optical depth is a big issue that can affect the method.Hence,this tool should be utilized only after a careful analysis of the HCN spectrum,checking that no line,neither the main nor the hyperfine ones,presents absorption features.We point out that the analysis of the emission of H^(13)CO^(+),HC_(3)N,N_(2)H^(+) and C_(2)H could be useful to trace and distinguish regions among IRDCs,HMPOs and HMCs.The molecular line widths of these four species increase from the IRDC to the HMC stage,which can be a consequence of the gas dynamics related to the starforming processes taking place in the molecular clumps.Our results not only contribute with more statistics,acting as a probe of such chemical tools,useful to obtain information in large samples of sources,but also complement previous works through the analysis of other types of sources.

What is the Role of Gravity,Turbulence and Magnetic Fields in High-mass Star Formation Clouds?

To explore the potential role of gravity,turbulence and magnetic fields in high-mass star formation in molecular clouds,this study revisits the velocity dispersion–size(σ–L)and density–size(ρ–L)scalings and the associated turbulent energy spectrum using an extensive data sample.The sample includes various hierarchical density structures in high-mass star formation clouds,across scales of 0.01–100 pc.We observeσ∝L^(0.26)andρ∝L^(-1.54)scalings,converging toward a virial equilibrium state.A nearly flat virial parameter–mass(α_(vir)-M)distribution is seen across all density scales,withα_(vir)values centered around unity,suggesting a global equilibrium maintained by the interplay between gravity and turbulence across multiple scales.Our turbulent energy spectrum(E(k))analysis,based on theσ–L andρ–L scalings,yields a characteristic E(k)∝k^(-1.52).These findings indicate the potential significance of gravity,turbulence,and possibly magnetic fields in regulating dynamics of molecular clouds and high-mass star formation therein.

Investigation of star formation toward the Sharpless 155 H II region

We present a comprehensive study of star formation toward the H II re- gion Sharpless 155 （$155）. Star-formation activities therein were investigated based on multi-wavelength data from optical to the far-infrared. The surface density distri- bution of selected 2MASS sources toward S 155 indicates the existence of a compact cluster, which is spatially consistent with the position of the exciting source of the Htt region, HD 217086. A sample of more than 200 sources with excessive emission in the infrared were selected based on their 2MASS color indices. The spatial distri- bution of the sample sources reveals the existence of three young subclusters in this region, among which subcluster A is spatially coincident with the bright rim of the H II region. In addition, photometric data from the WISE survey were used to identify and classify young stellar objects （YSOs）. To further explore the evolutionary stages of the candidate YSOs, we fit the spectral energy distributions of 44 sources, which led to the identification of 14 Class I, 27 Class II and 3 Class Ⅲ YSOs. The spatial distribu- tion of the classified YSOs at different evolutionary stages presents a spatiotemporal gradient, which is consistent with a scenario of sequential star formation. On the other hand, Herschel PACS observations toward the interface between S 155 and the ambi- ent molecular cloud disclose an arc-shaped dust layer, the origin of which could be attributed to the UV dissipation from early type stars, e.g. HD 217061, in S155. Four dusty cores were revealed by the Herschel data, which hints at new generations of star formation.

Star formation associated with the infrared dust bubble N68

We investigated the environment of the infrared dust bubble N68 and searched for evidence of triggered star formation in its surroundings. We performed a multiwavelength study of the nebula with data taken from several large-scale surveys： GLIMPSE, MIPSGAL, IRAS, NVSS, GRS and JCMT. We analyzed the spectral pro- file and the distribution of the molecular gas （13CO J -- 1 - 0 and J -- 3 - 2）, and the dust in the environment of N68. The position-velocity diagram clearly shows that N68 may be expanding outward. We used two three-color images of the mid-infrared emis- sion to explore the physical environment, and one color-color diagram to investigate the distribution of young stellar objects （YSOs）. We found that the 24 p^m emission is surrounded by the 8.0 ~m emission. Morphologically, the 1.4 GHz continuum strongly correlates with the 24 gm emission, and the 13CO J -- 1 - 0 and J -- 3 - 2 emissions correlate well with the 8.0 p^m emission. We investigated two compact cores located in the shell of N68. The spectral intensity ratios of 13CO J -- 3 - 2 to J = 1 - 0 range from 5 to 0.3. In addition, YSOs, masers, IRAS and UC HII regions are distributed in the shell of the bubble. The active region may be triggered by the expansion of the bubble N68.

Gas infall in the massive star formation core G192.16–3.84

Previous observations have revealed an accretion disk and outflow motion in the high-mass starforming region G192.16–3.84, but collapse has not been reported before. Here we present molecular line and continuum observations toward the massive core G192.16–3.84 with the Submillimeter Array. C18 O(2–1) and HCO+(3–2) lines show pronounced blue profiles, indicating gas infalling in this region. This is the first time that infall motion has been reported in the G192.16–3.84 core. Two-layer model fitting gives infall velocities of 2.0±0.2 and 2.8±0.1 km s-1. Assuming that the cloud core follows a power-law density profile(ρ∝ r1.5), the corresponding mass infall rates are(4.7±1.7)×10-3 and(6.6±2.1)×10-3 M⊙yr-1 for C18 O(2–1) and HCO+(3–2), respectively. The derived infall rates are in agreement with the turbulent core model and those in other high-mass star-forming regions, suggesting that high accretion rate is a general requirement for forming a massive star.

The ALMA-QUARKS Survey.Ⅱ.The ACA 1.3 mm Continuum Source Catalog and the Assembly of Dense Gas in Massive Star-Forming Clumps

Leveraging the high resolution,sensitivity,and wide frequency coverage of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array(ALMA),the QUARKS survey,standing for“Querying Underlying mechanisms of massive star formation with ALMA-Resolved gas Kinematics and Structures”,is observing 139 massive starforming clumps at ALMA Band 6(λ~1.3 mm).This paper introduces the Atacama Compact Array(ACA)7 m data of the QUARKS survey,describing the ACA observations and data reduction.Combining multiwavelength data,we provide the first edition of QUARKS atlas,offering insights into the multiscale and multiphase interstellar medium in high-mass star formation.The ACA 1.3 mm catalog includes 207 continuum sources that are called ACA sources.Their gas kinetic temperatures are estimated using three formaldehyde transitions with a non-LTE radiation transfer model,and the mass and density are derived from a dust emission model.The ACA sources are massive(16–84 percentile values of 6–160 M_(⊙)),gravity-dominated(M∝R^(1.1))fragments within massive clumps,with supersonic turbulence(M>1)and embedded star-forming protoclusters.We find a linear correlation between the masses of the fragments and the massive clumps,with a ratio of 6%between the two.When considering fragments as representative of dense gas,the ratio indicates a dense gas fraction(DGF)of 6%,although with a wide scatter ranging from 1%to 10%.If we consider the QUARKS massive clumps to be what is observed at various scales,then the size-independent DGF indicates a self-similar fragmentation or collapsing mode in protocluster formation.With the ACA data over four orders of magnitude of luminosity-to-mass ratio(L/M),we find that the DGF increases significantly with L/M,which indicates clump evolutionary stage.We observed a limited fragmentation at the subclump scale,which can be explained by a dynamic global collapse process.

Study of Complex Nitrogen and Oxygen-bearing Molecules toward the High-mass Protostar IRAS 18089–1732

The observation of oxygen(O)-and nitrogen(N)-bearing molecules gives an idea about the complex prebiotic chemistry in the interstellar medium.Recent millimeter and submillimeter wavelength observations have shown the presence of complex O-and N-bearing molecules in the star formation regions.So,the investigation of those molecules is crucial to understanding the chemical complexity in the star-forming regions.In this article,we present the identification of the rotational emission lines of N-bearing molecules ethyl cyanide(C_(2)H_(5)CN)and cyanoacetylene(HC_(3)N),and O-bearing molecule methyl formate(CH_(3)OCHO)toward high-mass protostar IRAS18089–1732 using the Atacama Compact Array.We also detected the emission lines of both the N-and O-bearing molecule formamide(NH_(2)CHO)in the envelope of IRAS 18089–1732.We have detected the v=0 and 1 state rotational emission lines of CH_(3)OCHO.We also detected the two vibrationally excited states of HC_(3)N(v7=1 and v7=2).The estimated fractional abundances of C_(2)H_(5)CN,HC_(3)N(v7=1),HC_(3)N(v7=2),and NH_(2)CHO toward IRAS 18089–1732 are(1.40±0.5)×10^(-10),(7.5±0.7)×10^(-11),(3.1±0.4)×10^(-11),and(6.25±0.82)×10^(-11)respectively.Similarly,the estimated fractional abundances of CH_(3)OCHO(v=0)and CH_(3)OCHO(v=1)are(1.90±0.9)×10^(-9)and(8.90±0.8)×10^(-10),respectively.We also created the integrated emission maps of the detected molecules,and the observed molecules may have originated from the extended envelope of the protostar.We show that C_(2)H_(5)CNand HC_(3)N are most probably formed via the subsequential hydrogenation of the CH_(2)CHCNand the reaction between C_(2)H_(2)and CN on the grain surface of IRAS 18089–1732.We found that NH_(2)CHO is probably produced due to the reaction between NH_(2)and H_(2)CO in the gas phase.Similarly,CH_(3)OCHO is possibly created via the reaction between radical CH_(3)O and radical HCO on the grain surface of IRAS 18089–1732.

Dense molecular gas tracers in high mass star formation regions

We report the FCRAO observations that mapped HCN （1-0）, CS （2-1）, HNC （1-0） and HCO＋ （1-0） in ten high-mass star forming cores associated with water masers. We present velocity integrated intensity maps of the four lines for these dense cores, compare their line profiles, and derive physical properties of these cores. We find that these four tracers identify areas with similar properties in these massive dense cores, and in most cases, the emissions of HCN and HCO＋ are stronger than those of HNC and CS. We also use the line ratios of HCO＋/HCN, HNC/HCN and HNC/HCO＋ as the diagnostics to explore the environment of these high-mass star forming regions, and find that most of the cores agree with the model that photodominated regions dominate the radiation field, except for W44, for which the radiation field is similar to an X-ray dominated region.

Disks and outflows in the S255IR area of high mass star formation from ALMA observations

We describe the general structure of the well known S255IR high mass star forming region, as revealed by our recent ALMA observations. The data indicate a physical relation exists between the major clumps SMA1 and SMA2. The driving source of the extended high velocity, well collimated bipolar outflow, is not the most pronounced disk-like SMA1 clump harboring a 20M⊙ young star （S255 NIRS3）, as was assumed earlier. Apparently, it is the less evolved SMA2 clump, which drives the outflow and contains a compact rotating structure （probably a disk）. At the same time, the SMA 1 clump drives another outflow, with a larger opening angle. The molecular line data do not show an outflow from the SMA3 clump （NIRS 1）, which was suggested by IR studies of this region.

Gas compression and likely triggered star formation in the infrared bubble N107

The expansion of HII regions can regulate the evolution of their natal clouds and the star for-mation therein. Infrared dust bubbles, which are frequently associated with HII regions, are ideal labora-tories to test whether impulse（s） driven by the expanding bubbles enhances or suppresses star-formation. In this work, we present a comprehensive study of a 20-pc scale infrared bubble N107 to reveal the com- pression of the neutral gas and associated star-forming activities. We obtain column density （NH2） and dust temperature （Tdust） maps via fitting modified blackbodies to multi-band far-infrared Herschel data. The shell structure can be recognized on the column density map. The molecular gas along the rim of N107 fragments into 94 dense clumps at an angular resolution of 18＂. Besides, based on the GLIMPSE point source catalog, we have identified 228 young stellar objects （YSOs） which are categorized into 55 Class I objects, 127 Class II objects and 46 transition disks （TDs）. The 94 clumps and 55 Class I type YSOs are mainly distributed along the shell, which may suggest triggered star formation exists in N107. In addition, analysis of NH2 probability density functions （PDFs） helps us reveal the condition of natal clouds. The two lognormal profiles of PDFs suggest that the surrounding molecular gas has been compressed due to expansion of the bubble. This compression may trigger the star formation process. Moreover, we find the shape of the PDFs changed after removing the background. Taken together, this big bubble seems to compress the surrounding gas and strongly regulate star formation therein.

The Role of Magnetic Fields in Triggered Star Formation of RCW 120

We report on the near-infrared polarimetric observations of RCW 120 with the 1.4 m IRSF telescope.The starlight polarization of the background stars reveals for the first time the magnetic field of RCW 120.The global magnetic field of RCW 120 is along the direction of 20°,parallel to the Galactic plane.The field strength on the plane of the sky is 100 ± 26 μG.The magnetic field around the eastern shell shows evidence of compression by the H Ⅱ region.The external pressure(turbulent pressure+ magnetic pressure) and the gas density of the ambient cloud are minimum along the direction where RCW 120 breaks out,which explains the observed elongation of RCW 120.The dynamical age of RCW 120,depending on the magnetic field strength,is~1.6 Myr for field strength of100 μG,older than the hydrodynamic estimates.In direction perpendicular to the magnetic field,the density contrast of the western shell is greatly reduced by the strong magnetic field.The strong magnetic field in general reduces the efficiency of triggered star formation,in comparison with the hydrodynamic estimates.Triggered star formation via the "collect and collapse" mechanism could occur in the direction along the magnetic field.Core formation efficiency(CFE) is found to be higher in the southern and eastern shells of RCW 120 than in the infrared dark cloud receiving little influence from the H Ⅱ region,suggesting increase in the CFE related to triggering from ionization feedback.

Multi-wavelength study of triggered star formation around 25 H II regions

We investigate 25 H II regions that show bubble morphology in 13CO（1-0） and infrared data, to search for quantitative evidence of triggered star formation by processes described by the collect and collapse （CC） and radiatively driven implosion （RDI） models. These H II regions display the morphology of a complete or partial bubble at 8 μm, and are all associated with the molecular clouds that surround them. We found that the electron temperature ranges from 5627 K to 6839 K in these H II regions, and the average electron temperature is 6083 K. The age of these H II regions is from 3.0× 10^5 yr to 1.7 × 10^6 yr, and the mean age is 7.7 × 10^5 yr. Based on the mor- phology of the associated molecular clouds, we divide these H II regions into three groups, which may support CC and RDI models. We select 23 young IRAS sources which have an infrared luminosity of 〉 10^3 Lo in 19 H II regions. In addition, we iden- tify some young stellar objects （including Class I sources）, which are only concen- trated in H II regions G29.007＋0.076, G44.339-0.827 and G47.028＋0.232. The poly- cyclic aromatic hydrocarbon emissions of the three H II regions all show a cometary globule. Comparing the age of each H II region with the characteristic timescales for star formation, we suggest that the three H II regions can trigger clustered star forma- tion by an RDI process. In addition, we detect seven molecular outflows in the five H II regions for the first time. These outflow sources may be triggered by the corresponding H II regions.

Probing star formation and feedback using CCOSMA and archival data in the CFG028.68–0.28 quasi-sinusoidal filament

We have performed a multi-wavelength study toward a quasi-sinusoidal filament(CFG028.68–0.28). A new large-scale ^12CO J = 3-2 map was obtained from the China-Cologne Observation for Sub Millimeter Astronomy(CCOSMA) 3m radio telescope. Based on the ATLASGAL catalog, we have identified 27 dust clumps in the filament. Through the relationship between the mass and radius of these clumps, 67% of these clumps are dense and massive enough to potentially form massive stars. The obtained CFE is ~11% in the filament. The filament has a linear mass density of ~305 M⊙pc^-1, which is smaller than its critical mass to length ratio. This suggests that the external pressure from the neighboring H Ⅱ regions may help prevent the filament from dispersing under the effects of turbulence. Comparing the energy injection from outflows and H Ⅱ regions in the filament, the ionization feedback from the H Ⅱ regions can help maintain the observed turbulence.

Sequential clustering of star formations in IC 1396

We present a comprehensive study of the H II region IC 1396 and its star forming activity, in which multi-wavelength data ranging from the optical to the near- and far-infrared were employed. The surface density distribution of all the 2MASS sources with a certain detection toward IC 1396 indicates the existence of a compact cluster spatially consistent with the position of the exciting source of the H II region, HD 206267. The spatial distribution of the sources with excessive infrared emission, selected based on archived 2MASS data, reveals the existence of four sub-clusters in this region. One is associated with the open cluster Trumpler 37. The other three are found to be spatially coincident with the bright rims of the H II region. All the sources with excessive emission in the near infrared are cross-identified with AKARI IRC data. An analysis of the spectral energy distributions （SEDs） of the resultant sample leads to the identification of eight CLASS I, 15 CLASS II and 15 CLASS IH sources in IC 1396. Optical identification of the sample sources with R magnitudes brighter than 17 mag corroborates the results from the SED analysis. Based on the spatial distribution of the infrared young stellar objects at different evolutionary stages, the surrounding sub-clusters located in the bright rims are believed to be younger than the central one. This is consistent with a scenario of sequential star formation in this region. Imaging data of a dark patch in IC 1396 by Herschel SPIRE, on the other hand, indicate the presence of two far-infrared cores in LDN 1111, which are likely to be a new generation of protostellar objects in formation. So we infer that the star formation process in this H II region was not continuous but rather episodic.

What is the right way to quench star formation in semi-analytic models of galaxy formation?

Semi-analytic models of galaxy formation are powerful tools to study the evolution of a galaxy population in a cosmological context. However, most models overpredict the number of low- mass galaxies at high redshifts and the colors of model galaxies are not right in the sense that low-mass satellite galaxies are too red and centrals are too blue. The recent version of the L-Galaxies model by Henriques et al. （H15） is a step forward to solve these problems by reproducing the evolution of stellar mass function and the overall fraction of red galaxies. In this paper we compare the two model predictions of L-Galaxies （the other is Guo et al., G13） to SDSS data in detail. We find that in the H15 model the red fraction of central galaxies now agrees with the data due to their implementation of strong AGN feedback, but the stellar mass of centrals in massive halos is now slightly lower than what is indicated by the data. For satellite galaxies, the red fraction of low-mass galaxies （log M./M~ 〈 10） also agrees with the data, but the color of massive satellites （10 〈 logM,/M~ 〈 11） is slightly bluer. The correct color of centrals and the bluer color of massive satellites indicate that quenching in massive satellites is not strong enough. We also find that there are too many red spirals and less bulge-dominated galaxies in both H15 and G13 models. Our results suggest that additional mechanisms, such as more minor mergers or disk instability, are needed to slightly increase the stellar mass of the central galaxy in massive galaxies, mainly in the bulge component, and bulge dominated galaxies will be quenched not only by minor mergers, but also by some other mechanisms.

A Study of Star Formation in BRC18

Using the 13.7m radio telescope at Delingha, the millimeter-wave radioobservatory of Purple Mountain Observatory, we made mapping observations in ^(12)CO J = 1 - 0 linetowards IRAS 05417+0907, located in the bright-rimmed cloud (BRC) BRC18. We used a 7 x 7 grid with1' spacing, a finer and larger grid than the one used by Myers et al. Our results show that there isa bipolar outflow near IRAS 05417+0907. Combining with the observations at other wave bands, wefind that the star formation process in this region is triggered by radiation-driven implosion. Thesignificant difference between the masses of BRC18 and the cores and the relatively large ratio ofassociated source bolometric luminosity to the mass show that the star formation in BRC18 may betaking place in a sequence.

The current status of galaxy formation

Understanding galaxy formation is one of the most pressing issues in cos- mology. We review the current status of galaxy formation from both an observational and a theoretical perspective, and summarize the prospects for future advances.

WISE Infrared Search for Young Stellar Objects Associated with Starless Cores

This study presents the results of an infrared search of young stellar objects (YSOs) associated with cores with high optical extinction and no associated infrared IRAS source. Four hundred YSO candidates were identified in the WISE photometric catalog based on the infrared excess attributed to the circumstellar materials and proto-planetary disks. One-hundred and forty-nine cores do not have YSO candidates. Whereas, 32 cores harbor only Class I candidates and 107 cores have Class II candidates. Ninety-one cores that were previously identified as starless cores, were found to contain YSOs. The ratio of the number of starless cores to the number of star-forming cores suggests that the typical timescale from molecular cloud core formation to the birth of a star is in the range of 0.5 - 1.4 Myr.

Multiwavelength Observations of the Infrared Dust Bubble N75 and its Surroundings

Infrared dust bubbles play an important role in the study of star formation and the evolution of the interstellar medium.In this work,we study the infrared dust bubble N75 and the infrared dark cloud G38.93 mainly using the tracers C^(18)O,HCO^(+),HNC and N_(2)H^(+)observed by the 30 m IRAM telescope.We also study the targets using data from large-scale surveys:GLIMPSE,MIPSGAL,GRS,NRAO VLA Sky Survey and Bolocam Galactic Plane Survey.We found that the C^(18)O emission is morphologically similar to the Spitzer IRAC 8.0μm emission.The1.1 mm cold dust emission of G38.93 shows an elongated structure from southwest to northeast.The ionized gas from G38.93 is surrounded by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon emission,which may be excited by radiation from G38.93.We found that the identified young stellar objects tend to cluster around G38.93 and are mostly in class II with several class I cases distributed around N75,but no class II examples.We also found evidence of expanding feedback,which could have triggered star formation.

SMA molecular line survey towards the massive star-forming region G10.6-0.4in W31complex

Line surveys of complex molecules with millimeter and sub-millimeter telescopes are important for probing the physical and chemical environments of massive star forming regions(MSFRs).We present a molecular line survey with the Submillimeter Array(SMA) in the frequency ranges of 220.3–222.3 GHz and 230.3–232.3 GHz toward G10.6-0.4, the brightest star forming core in the W31 complex. Ninety-nine transitions from 22 molecular species and their isotopologues are identified. The moment 0 images of typical molecules show a compact core which is concentrated at the continuum peak position. Based on the local thermodynamic equilibrium assumption, the molecular line data are modeled. The rotational temperatures of those molecular species range from 96 to 178 K and their column densities range from 2.0×1014to 3.7×1017cm-2. The observational data suggest that all complex molecules are located in a warm environment. Chemical environments of the molecules are discussed. We compared molecular abundances and gas temperatures in G10.6-0.4 with those in other MSFRs, and found that gas temperatures and fractional abundances of specific molecules in G10.6-0.4 are similar to the typical MSFR W51 North, suggesting that there are similar physical and chemical environments in these two MSFRs.