Massive cores in the Orion molecular cloud

Details Massive cores in the Orion molecular cloud Massive cores in the Orion molecular cloud

Oct 2002

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2002phdt........10l&link_type=abstract

Thesis (PhD). CORNELL UNIVERSITY, Source DAI-B 63/04, p. 1890, Oct 2002, 201 pages.

Computer Science

20

Scientific paper

Compared to low mass star formation (LMSF), the process of high mass star formation (HMSF) is relatively unclear. The dynamic nature and short time scale of HMSF make identification and modeling of HMSF evolutionary stages very hard to undertake. This volume of study contributes to further understanding of HMSF by providing critical information regarding possible progenitors of massive stars, namely massive molecular cloud cores. A sample of 15 massive cores are selected from a CS survey of the Orion molecular cloud, a prototype of HMSF regions. These cores represent the closest massive cores in a HMSF cloud, thus have the best chance to be properly resolved by current instruments. A group of unique tracers (C18O, 13CO, CS, NH3, N2H+ and dust continuum) were chosen to determine, as accurately as possible, the temperature, the mass, the density, and the chemical state of these cores. A multi-tracer, multi-transition data set is thus built based on observations over a time span of two years, and from five different telescopes. The massive Orion cores are found to be gravitationally bound, but well supported by internal supersonic turbulence. Accurate temperature measurements show that the Orion cores are cooler then their environment. One of the sources, ORI1, shows clear density gradients and molecular depletion in high density regions. For any fast massive star formation scenario to be correct, a drastic change of external environment, such as an encounter with a shock, is needed to alter the stable equilibrium of these cores.

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