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arXiv 0710.0090astro-ph
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W3恒星形成复合体的多样性恒星星族

The Diverse Stellar Populations of the W3 Star Forming Complex

Eric D. Feigelson, Leisa K. Townsley

摘要:

钱德拉X射线天文台获得的W3恒星形成复合体的800平方角分马赛克图像为其年轻恒星星族的空间结构提供了宝贵的新视角。钱德拉的图像显示了大约1300个微弱的X射线源,其中大部分是云中的PMS星。一些,但不是全部,产生超紧凑和超紧凑H II(UCHII)区域的大质量恒星也被发现,正如以前的研究所报道的那样。钱德拉的图像揭示了三个截然不同的嵌入式恒星星族。W3主星团的长度超过7 pc,大约有900颗X射线星,以近球形分布,集中在研究充分的UCHII区域和高质量原恒星。围绕着原型UCHII区域W3(OH)的星团显示出一个小得多的(<0.6 pc),不对称的,大约有50颗PMS星的星团分布。电离W3北H II区域的大质量恒星是完全孤立的,没有任何伴随的PMS恒星。在W3 Main中,广泛分布的PMS星的推断年龄明显比照亮UCHII的中央OB星的推断年龄更老。我们认为,不同的形成机制是必要的,以解释W3恒星星族的多样性:集群范围内的引力坍缩与延迟OB星形成在W3主,收集和崩溃触发的冲击波前在W3(OH),和失控的O星或孤立的大质量恒星形成在W3北。

英文摘要:

An 800 sq-arcmin mosaic image of the W3 star forming complex obtained with the Chandra X-ray Observatory gives a valuable new view of the spatial structure of its young stellar populations. The Chandra image reveals about 1300 faint X-ray sources, most of which are PMS stars in the cloud. Some, but not all, of the high-mass stars producing hypercompact and ultracompact H II (UCHII) regions are also seen, as reported in a previous study. The Chandra images reveal three dramatically different embedded stellar populations. The W3 Main cluster extends over 7 pc with about 900 X-ray stars in a nearly-spherical distribution centered on the well-studied UCHII regions and high-mass protostars. The cluster surrounding the prototypical UCHII region W3(OH) shows a much smaller (<0.6 pc), asymmetrical, and clumpy distribution of about 50 PMS stars. The massive star ionizing the W3 North H II region is completely isolated without any accompanying PMS stars. In W3 Main, the inferred ages of the widely distributed PMS stars are significantly older than the inferred ages of the central OB stars illuminating the UCHIIs. We suggest that different formation mechanisms are necessary to explain the diversity of the W3 stellar populations: cluster-wide gravitational collapse with delayed OB star formation in W3 Main, collect-and-collapse triggering by shock fronts in W3(OH), and a runaway O star or isolated massive star formation in W3 North.

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